Apollo
by welcometofightclub
Summary: "Son" she told him. "I want you to meet Holly and Artemis Fowl. they're your biological parents." Apollo was just a normal punk teenager, who loved rock and video games. what will happen to his life when he finds the identity of his parents.
1. In the Begining

**You wanted it, you asked for it, and now, you've got it. The spinoff is here. This takes place in the same universe as my other two fics, The end, and The first time. So you might want to read them first. They also explain why I named it **_**Apollo. **_**I hope that you all enjoy it. This fic is an ongoing one, so it will be long. Don't worry though; I think you'll enjoy it. Please check out my YouTube videos and don't forget to review!**

**Also, each chapter will begin with either a quote from a comedian. I believe that it would lighten things up and make the experience enjoyable. Also, I will suggest a song to listen to, as sort of a soundtrack for each chapter. Sort of like Kitsune Heart's fan fic "In Another's eyes." Seriously, Go check her out. She's awesome.**

**Today is my birthday. I've turned fifteen and just received my drivers permit. (bitchin.) And I only have one birthday wish, and that is for the first chapter to get ten reviews.**

**So without further ado, here is the first chapter. **

**Song "Nice dream." By **_**Radiohead.**_

"_You have to be careful when you name your child. Because kids these days can take any name and change it so they can taught your child with it. Like Mary is hairy, Luke smells like puke, Mike you mothers a dyke. Shit like that. For example *looks into the crowd* what's your name? Harry? Eat a bag of shit and die harry. See! Kids are geniuses."_

_-Louie CK_

* * *

How does one describe Artemis Fowl? Various psychiatrists have tried and failed. The main problem was Artemis's own intellect. It seemed that no one could tap into that genius brain. Everyone tried to, but failed.

Everyone, _except _one.

She currently was enjoying a good book. She was amazed at how well Mud Men could actually write. The author who wrote this book had such intellect and class that he was able to grip the woman and keep her on the edge of her seat, even if it was just writing. She couldn't believe that a Mud Man by the name of Stephan King could write with such class. _These are the same people who use indoor toilets? _

She was distracted when she heard the sound of a door close. This was followed by a body slamming down next to her on the bed. The man groaned; tired, for it had been such a long, strenuous, and all around dreadful day. She knew that this was probably how he was going to react when he got home. It was 1 A.M. in the morning, and this man usually went to bed at 10. After all, with a mind as intellectual as his, he needed to rest that genius brain.

After noticing who laid beside her, she focused her attention back to the book.

"Hard day, I presume?" she asked her husband.

"You have no clue." Artemis moaned into his pillow.

"Oh believe me. I know." Holly stated putting her book away. "I'd had to take orders from those people for almost half a century on the work force. So believe me, I understand how hard it is to deal with the council."

Fowl looked up and gazed into her eyes. It was a split second, but it seemed to last a life time. She looked lovely. Ever since they got partnered, he was one of the happiest men who ever lived. What kept him happy the most was the fact that every night, he was curled up next to such a beautiful wife. She had the auburn hair of a goddess, the caramel skin that shined like fine wine, and the type of beauty that would make Aphrodite green with envy.

What he loved more than her looks was her personality. Before Fowl meat her, he was one of those people that didn't know what to do with happiness. He was one of those people, that when his happiness would ask him "are we having a great time?" he'd usually reply, "Well, you know, shit can happen. For example, looked what happen to my father."

But Holly gave him permission to be positive. She made him positive as well. Without her, he probably wouldn't be able to see his father anymore. Without her, he'd still be a child with a mentally insane mother. Without her, he'd probably be buried six feet under by now. But most importantly, without her he wouldn't haven't been able to experience love. He knew what it was like to care for one thing, but he never knew what it was like, to truly intimately love.

He leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. It was a long soft kissed, that symbolized compassion and loved. He curled up on top of her, smiling as he did. And soon, both of their noses were touching. He had that smile that looked as if he was mischievous. And Since Holly and Artemis got partnered almost years ago; she knew exactly what he was thinking. And was her job, as the wife, to tease. She loved doing that to him, just to see his expressions was something else.

"What did they say?" she asked him.

Lost in her beauty, Fowl totally forgot everything she just said. She had the ability to do that to him. One minute, he was an esteemed scientist with the highest of intellect, and the next minute, with a wink here and a kiss there, he was a mushy love dog.

"Huh?" Fowl replied as he kissed his wife softly on the lips.

"What did the council say about us being together?" She asked.

"They said the usual drabble that I was expecting to hear."

"Such as," she asked as her back curved to his touch. She felt a warm, yet chilling tingling creep up her spine as his fingers lightly played with her back. It sent a delicious shiver through her nerves.

"Why we got married? When did we get married? When did we get partnered? Did we not know the consequences? Basically, it was sayings that I was prepared to hear before I stepped into the room."

"And what did you tell them," she whispered.

"I told them that we both love each other, and that we've had for a long time now. And if they disliked our relationship, I suggested to one of them that they could cry me a river, jumped down of the cross, use the wood to build a bridge and get over it."

"My, My, My" Holly stated a bit teasingly. "How rude of you. And you told me you were a gentle man."

"Be that as it may," he continued. "I really love you, and when I see people hating us for liking each other, it really brings out the worst in me. There's only one thing that brings out the best of me."

"What's that?" Holly asked him.

He lifted her head so it was close to his. His forefinger and thumb grabbed her chin softly and began to rub. They gazed into each other's mismatch eyes, and then Fowl told her.

"You."

She smiled soothingly, and almost a bit shy. Her faced flushed red. It was not out of embarrassment (maybe a little bit) but in a strange way, what Artemis did to her was the exact same thing as what Holly did to him. Fowl kissed her lightly and lovingly on her lips. Their mouths opened and their tongue began to massage each other. It seemed to last an eternity, and it was Holly who pulled back.

"What else did they say?" she asked as their fingers intertwined; ring brushing up against ring.

It was a beautiful, enchanting ring that Fowl had given her. It was a gold band. And not just off of the line gold. This was pure fairy gold that he had melted down for this use. The gold shone in all of its glory. On top of the band, were Holly's birthstone; two of each. Rubies. They glowed with a bright red/ orange glow. And the rubies always matched her hair. The Rubies sat side by side, up against a large white Topaz diamond. It was the perfect shade of white that almost blinded people when light reflected off of it. And it was, without a doubt, the perfect wedding ring. Holly loved it so much. And she'd never forget how she reacted that day. She was crying out of joy so much that Fowl almost feared she'd flood their own room.

"The council really didn't state anything out of the obvious." Fowl continued. "In the end, the whole meeting felt like one long, and drawn out conversation." While he spoke to her, he plant kisses along her jaw line. Once he finished his second sentence, he grew a sly smile and looked at Holly straight in the eyes. The glow of his eyes was filled with deviousness. And his smile was somewhat playful.

"Speaking of long drawn out conversations," Fowl proclaimed as he drifted down her body. His head was now right on her stomach.

Holly was the one who groaned this time. Ever since the night she proclaimed the news, he did the same act over and over. And while the topic's of the conversation changed from time to time, it annoyed her that it was only three weeks ago that Holly found out she was pregnant with Fowl's child, and yet he'd talk to his son, growing inside her, every night.

At first, she'd admit, it was kind of cute seeing Artemis talk to his son in the womb, but now it was kind of annoying. She'd wish that she'd get most of that attention that her son was getting from Artemis.

But she didn't tell fowl face to face how she felt about this issue; not yet anyways. Besides, it was really one of the first times, besides when he married her that Fowl truly cared for another being's health and emotions.

"Hello Son," Fowl told the child inside Holly's belly. "This is your father speaking."

"He already knows that." Holly stated, annoyed.

"I just wanted to tell you," he told his child as he kissed Holly's stomach, "That after my meeting with the council, I've realized that there are some stuck up pricks in the universe."

Holly's eyes shot open in shock.

"Fowl!" she almost yelled. "Watch your language."

Artemis looked upon his wife, and smiled.

"And if you have not already realized this, your Mommy is a hard-ass," he continued to his child.

She raised one of her brows.

"A hard-ass?" she asked him.

He pulled up towards her face, and kissed her on the cheek. He still had that smile that looked as if he had something bad on his mind, yet it caused Holly to melt into an effusive mess.

"Yes," Fowl admitted. "You have to admit, if anyone in this family is strict, it's you."

"I'm not strict." She replied.

"Then what are you, besides my lovely, beautiful wife?"

She smiled, as suddenly the connection between them became so strong that she felt as devilish as he did at the time. Her emotions became so powerful, that he mental wall that told her to keep her lover waiting, broke. She crumbled in lovely goodness. She kissed Fowl behind his ear, and whispered seductively to him.

"Flexible." She replied.

When she came back to his face, his expression made her life out loud. He looked as if he found the secret hidden treasure on a strange unbeknownst island. His mouth was gaped open in surprised, and his eyes, those mismatched eyes, were widen.

"God, I love you." He replied.

Holly giggled. She said to him "Come here you," and brought him up for another kiss.

Soon, that kiss became heated to the point that she was sucking on his tongue and he was sucking on her upper lip.

Soon, he felt that same feeling that he felt years ago when they first came together; that strange, good, feeling that made his blood boil and his nerves tingle in excitement.

Soon, they became hot to the point that they felt their clothes constricting them.

Soon, Holly was screaming his name, over and over again.

And about three hours later, both Artemis and Holly, were spooning with each other, happily asleep, and completely naked. They dreamed peacefully as they waited for the sun to rise, to begin a new day.

* * *

About nine months, two weeks, and 3 days into Holly's pregnancy, Fowl found out the hard truth. It was a truth that rocked his inner being and brought him to the point of panic. He thought he knew everything, but there was one thing he did not know.

And that particular subject of knowledge that seemed to escape his mind was the subject of pregnancy.

He thought he knew everything about it. When the news came to him about how he was going to be a daddy, he began studying constantly. He read textbooks, digital books, listen to audio books over the subject and hell, even read magazines (which Fowl believed was a load of garbage) to understand not only the man's role in the birth of a child, but how to raise the child as a good father. He wanted to be the best dad and greatest husband ever, when that day came when Holly's water would break.

But then, Juliet, who came over for a family visit, informed Fowl on one of life's great facts. It was a fact that Fowl had no clue about, though he wished he did. It was a fact that still, to this day, haunts him to his dreams.

And that fact was this.

All women lie about childbirth.

And if any women chuckles at this statement, Fowl would personally like to tell them that the situation is not funny one bit.

When Juliet told Fowl this, he personally freaked out. All this time he thought he knew everything. But now as this new information came forth, he not only realized that he didn't know, but that his wife didn't know as well. He realized that all the information that his wife received from Juliet and Angeline was all brutal lies, for the purpose of just making sure that his wife got pregnant. All women had a tendency to do this. And now that Artemis knew this fact of life, he only had one motive on his mind on August 8th of 2010;

Get to Holly as fast as possible.

He brought Juliet along with him, to personally apologize to Holly herself. When they pulled up to the driveway of the Fowl Manor, Juliet frankly did not want to be her. She thought that Fowl was acting ridiculously.

"This is stupid," Juliet mumbled under her breath.

"This is not stupid!" Artemis shouted to her. "You've lied to my wife for that past nine moths! And I am here to ask why!"

"It's just all in good fun." Juliet replied. "When I had my child, my pregnant friends in the women's wrestling league did the exact same thing to me."

"Why are all women crazy?" Fowl shouted into thin air.

"Cause that's how we roll," Juliet replied. "Look, the birth of a child is magnificent. We only want every woman to experience that magnificent moment, where the doctor says 'it's a girl' or boy."

"I understand how important this child is to her and me as well," Fowl stated as he and Juliet finally made it to the door of the master bed room. "But I also understand how awful it is to lie. I lied once to Holly, and I regretted it for years. I paid for my lie with the loss of my sanity, and Holly as well. Now, that we have finally come to terms that we love each other, I never want anybody to lie to us again; including you."

Juliet looked away. From how Artemis was stating what she did to Holly, Juliet felt kind of, awful. No, scratch that, she felt really bad for lying to Holly.

"I know," Juliet said as she bit her lip in regret.

"Then go in there, and apologize!" Artemis commanded.

Juliet faced the door and prepared herself to speak to Holly. Fowl turned the handle and opened the door.

And at this moment, both of their brains literally fried with panic and fear.

* * *

Both Artemis and Juliet opened the door, to find Holly crying and screaming. Her back was _clamped _to the headboard, and Fowl noticed she could feel some pressure because Artemis could hear wood _crack. _Holly's arms and legs were sprawled out across the bridge like a drunken Russian gymnast, and both Juliet and Fowl knew that Holly was in pain, for she sounded like this.

"_OH GODS!" _Holly cried.

Fowl immediately ran to his wife's side. Juliet just stood there in the doorway; amazed at what was happening in front of her. Fowl was amazed as well, but even though his body was in a state of panic, he knew exactly what was happening.

"Honey," Fowl told Holly. "I believe that you are in labor."

"NO, NO, NO, NO, NO,NO!" Holly shouted. Her back curved in pain. She took a long breath that sounded as if she was about to die. "_UGHHH!" _And then, she told Fowl "This is just false labor."

…_..Holy shit. _Fowl thought. He turned back to Juliet who was standing in the door way. Artemis was now madder than hell. "DO YOU SEE WHAT LIES DO?" Artemis asked Juliet.

The Butler snapped out of her haze and ran right next to Holly on the bed. She began to assist Holly in any way she could. She told Holly the usual; to breathe, to push, and so on. About two minutes later, Holly let out another vicious scream in pain. No amount of fairy healing could help her with this situation right now. It was nothing like Juliet and Angeline said it what be. This wasn't just 'some pressure' she felt. It was as if her lower lip got ripped off and pulled over her skull. She breathed hard and fast, and then screamed some more.

"MAKE THE PAIN GO AWAY!" she shouted to Artemis.

"I wish I could," Artemis stated to Holly. "But I honestly don't know how. I believe that even with the healing in motion wouldn't exactly dull the p-"

Holly hormones went dreadfully high, and they took a twist in anger. The pain fuelled her hate, as she then grabbed Fowl's throat and brought him up to her face.

"DON'T GIVE ME A FUCKING SCIENTIFIC LECTURE ARTY!" she screamed. "JUST FUCKING DO IT!"

"Wait!" Juliet shouted. "I got an idea. I have just the thing for Holly." Juliet then ran down stair to her bag, leaving Artemis alone with his in labor wife. He was now in a state of fear. What was he suppose to do. He did the only thing he could do. He told his wife to breath, relax and push, and all the while, he and Holly both waited for the arrival of Juliet. In one hand, was her bag with clothes and accessories; and in the other hand, was a syringe needle.

Fowl was confused.

"What is that syringe needle filled with?" Fowl asked.

"Oh," Juliet sated. "It's just an epidural."

Fowl corked a brow. Holly immediately stopped breathing for a second, confused as well. Out of nowhere, Juliet seemed to just have an epidural in handy.

"Why in the world do you have an epidural?" Fowl asked her.

She suddenly grew a smile, and started to laugh in pleasure.

"I'm not a junkie." She assured the couple. "But trust me. When you have a job like I do, and you get hurt in the cage, this shit helps."

And with that, she stuck the epidural in Holly.

That's when Fowl realized why Juliet would keep such a drug with her all the time. The effect was so immediate, that even Fowl started thinking about trying that epidural out on him if he had any pain in the future. Because, a few minutes ago, Holly was in so much pain, she was literally screaming in tongues. But, about three seconds after Juliet placed the epidural in Holly's vein, Holly's scream transformed.

"_AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH_. OOOHHHHHHHHHHHH. oh. _oh. _Ahh. Yeah." She screamed. Her eyes rolled back in a drug fixed haze. She felt no pain whatsoever at this moment. And suddenly she started cackling like a hyena. Fowl gave Juliet the cocked brow. And then he asked her a question." Does this happen to everyone when they get and epidural? Cause if that's the case; I'm having some major trouble with my back…"

Finally, after a few seconds of Holly's constant cackle, Artemis had to ask her the one stupid question.

"How do you feel?" Fowl asked her.

Holly laughed and turned towards her husband. She pointed at his nose for a long time, and then, just before passing out, she stated "great."

With that word, Holly immediately drifted in a drug hazed sleep. She was now out cold. Fowl stared at his wife, amazed at what this drug did for her. One minute, his wife was in total pain, and the next minute, she was now softly asleep. Fowl looked up at Juliet, who was cleaning the needle out, and started rummaging through her bag for supplies.

"How long will she be unconscious?"Artemis asked Juliet.

"About three hours," Juliet said. She turned from her bag to see an amazed Artemis.

"_Three hours?" _Fowl proclaimed.

"Don't worry," Juliet said. "It gets rid of some of the pain, but in the end, for pregnancy, it just prolongs the effect. Trust me. I have this done to me before for pregnancy, and that's what it's supposed to do."

Juliet went over to Fowl's side, at patted him on the back. Artemis watched as his wife slept.

"Now go into the other room." Juliet said. "Get some rest."

"What? No!" Artemis stated to Juliet. "I love my wife. I am never leaving her side."

"You're not leaving." Juliet told him. "It's just that you've had a long day, and that the next part of her pregnancy is brutal. I need you fully rested up for the next part. So go into the other room, get some sleep, and I'll get you when she's thirty seconds apart."

Artemis glanced over to Holly. She looked so peaceful while she slept. He notice how round her tummy was with their child. He knew that any minute now, that round tummy would disappear, and be replaced with a newborn baby. And while he was thrilled at that thought, he was also scared. Anything could go wrong from this moment on. He wanted to stay by his wife's side and make sure that nothing went wrong. He needed to make sure that his wife was taken care of properly.

"You trust me. Right?" Juliet asked Fowl.

Artemis looked right back at Juliet, and sighed; disappointed that she was right.

"Yes," he stated. "I trust you."

Artemis walked out of the room slowly. He went downstairs to the main couch. His mind was filled with anxiety and fear, but he knew that his wife was in good hands. After all, Juliet was a Butler, and she also experience child labor herself. So Artemis just laid there on the couch. And slowly, but surly, he drift off to sleep as well.

* * *

*three hours later*

Juliet rushed down stairs. She ran so fast that the stairs almost lit on fire. She found Artemis asleep on the couch, and ran up to him and shook him viciously. He immediately snapped out of his daze when he felt Juliet violently shaking him.

"Fowl!" she screamed almost out of breath. "Your wife. She's thirty seconds apart!"

That's when Fowl heard a very loud scream up stairs coming from his wife.

He and Juliet immediately ran upstairs. He ran so fast that his heart felt like it was pumping battery acid. When he reached the door to the master bedroom he pulled the door so hard that he almost tore the door off its hinges. He saw that Holly now had an IV placed into her (which Juliet got from the science lab,) and that the bag was filled with epidural.

Holly was now curving so hard that Fowl swore he could see her spine through her front. She arched hard and screamed loudly. Artemis rushed quickly to his wife's side and held her hand. Due to their partnered ship, he could feel some of the pain she was feeling, and while it wasn't on the same scale as Holly's pain, he felt as if his insides were being torn out. To see his wife in so much pain, hurt him so much.

He did his job as the man. While Juliet got between Holly's legs and studied if the baby was crowning, Fowl told his wife to push, and to breathe. He held her hand tightly, but not as tight as she was holding on to him. Later, Fowl would find out that three of his fingers were broken.

She screamed in total pain, which hurt both Fowl's and Juliet's ears.

And that's when Holly said it.

"I'M NOT HAVING THIS BABY!" she screamed.

Fowl immediately stopped and stared. He felt as if he didn't hear her quite correctly. _She's thirty seconds apart AND NOW she doesn't want to have this baby? _

At first, Artemis and Juliet tried to retain their frustration and act cool and collective.

"Holly, you need to corporate." Fowl stated calm.

"I DON'T WANNA!" Holly screamed.

"You need to push." Fowl told her.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Holly screamed. Then tears of pain feel down her cheeks. When she started breathing in after the long scream she said, "I'M NOT PUSHING. YOU TELL JULIET TO PULL!"

And that's what set her off. Juliet, frankly, was mad at the frustration of the situation. All that she wanted to do was apologize, have cup of tea, and get out. Now, she was aiding Holly in the birth of Artemis's child. And yet, she doesn't want to push. _Well fuck that, _she thought. Her anger made her slam her fist on the bed, and then she screamed at Holly with fury.

"Damn it Holly!" Juliet yelled. "If you do not have this baby in the next ten seconds, I will personally kill your epidural flow."

That baby was out. Holly reacted like a crack head threaten with rehab.

That baby flew out. And no one was prepared for the baby. Three hours, and one push was all it took for that child to be born, and it may be possible that no women in history ever had a birth like that; which is probably why no one was prepared for it. Luckily, Juliet's training, along with her lightning fast reflexes kicked in, and she caught that baby before it hit the ground.

Fowl watched in amazement as Juliet caught the baby. Holly's screaming finally died down, and all that was left was heavy breathing. She looked towards Fowl, noting that he looked just as amazed as well. They looked towards each other, both breathing heavy excitement.

"You feeling better?" he asked stupidly.

She narrowed her brows towards him.

"I just went through childbirth Arty," she told him. "I don't think I'm in the best of moods for stupid questions."

"You're right." He told her. "I'm sorry. It's just, all of the excitement and pain you and I went though, I just had to know."

Suddenly, they heard a crying sound. It was the sound of their child crying. They felt there heartbeats rise again, as they were about to meet their child. While the anticipation was great, the sound of their child put Holly in a good mood.

"You know what would make me very happy," Holly told Artemis. "Is if we see our child." She tried raising her head a little bit to meet Juliet, who was wiping off their child behind the bed with a towel. "Juliet." She yelled. "Can we see our child?"

Juliet rose from under the bed; with a smile on her face and a child in her arms. "Why of course." She beamed.

Frankly, Mr. and Mrs. Fowl the II didn't hear a thing Juliet said. They were too busy staring at their child. He was beautiful. There was nothing wrong with him one bit. And while he looked like a normal child in the world's standers, Fowl thought that his child was the most amazing thing in the universe. To know that he made this wonderful child, without the use of technology and science, and to know that this child was his, and a part of him and Holly, made his eyes water with tears of joy. Holly reacted the same way.

"Oh Gods Arty," she stated.

Juliet smiled as she handed the child to Holly. Holly held the child in her arms and immediately, the child stopped crying. Now that the child had found his home, his mother, the child felt at home and at peace. The child immediately started cooing. Artemis felt as if he was going to explode with happiness. To know that he finally did it, that he finally was a father, made him fill with joy. The child then began to fall asleep. Holly's heart melted.

"He's beautiful." Holly told Fowl.

"Yes he is." Fowl stated to Holly while wiping away the tears with his sleeve.

"What should we call him?" Holly asked as she lightly bounced the child.

Artemis thought really hard for a moment. People need to be careful when naming a child. After all, Arty was teased in the all boys' school for years about having a girl's name. Although he usually was so cold and bitter that no one wanted to talk to him. And for the unlucky few that did tease them, they later got to meet the giant sized bodyguard that drove the Bentley. Then, an idea popped into his head. He knew that Holly didn't want to keep the Artemis name going. After all, it was her child too, and they expected to at least have three, so they could possibly name another child Artemis. But Fowl realized that he could still name his kid after a Greek god.

"Apollo," Arty announced.

Holly cocked a brow.

"You mean you want to name our child after a series of NASA space missions? One of them that failed miserably and had a movie with Tom Hanks star in it?"

Artemis laughed.

"No, no." he corrected her. "Apollo is the Greek god of music, and light; along with truth and prophecy. I want our child to be named after someone who was honest, so later in the future, when our child would be prepared to tell a lie, he'll stop himself and realize what his name means."

A bright smile grew across Holly's face. She realized that it was in Arty's intentions to be a good father and for his kid to never fall in the same pit holes as he did.

"Well, now that I know why you named him Apollo," she said grinning. "I think it's very sweet."

"You think so?"

"Yeah."

They stared at the child for a long time. At this moment, Juliet felt that they would need some peace and walked out of the room. The child was wonderful. He was so small and fragile that Holly and Artemis felt as if they'd accidently break him. He was a small beacon of life that filled any dark voids of their life. He was a small child, but a heavy one as well, and Holly could tell for her arms were getting tired.

"You hold him." Holly told Fowl.

Fowl's eyes widen in excitement.

"I can't." Artemis stated with fear.

Holly laughed at his fear.

"It's not like you'll break him."

"I'm afraid I will."

She handed him their child. Carefully, Fowl cradled the child in his arms.

"Being a father comes naturally." Holly told Fowl.

And she was right. As soon as Fowl felt his child, the instincts took over. He cradled his child and bounced him lightly in his arms. As a Father, it was in his instincts to comfort his child. But it was also in his instincts to never let go of his child. He wanted to make sure that nothing bad happened to his own flesh and blood. He studied his child as he rest in his arms.

"He's got my skin complexion." He told his wife. "He's got my looks, my gender. Huh, he even has my nose."

"Guess he takes after you." Holly asked him.

Fowl didn't reply. He didn't need to reply. It didn't matter who his child got what from whom. All that mattered was that _this _was _his child _that he was holding in his arms. Never in a million years did Fowl believe he would be a Father. And the feeling that came from knowing he was now a dad filled his spirits with joy and righteous.

Then as he looked back to his child, he saw it.

He immediately gasped loudly. Holly twitched her head towards Fowl with lightning speeds. Fowl's mouth was gaped open in surprise. Then, a couple of seconds later, he said it.

"He's got your ears."

Holly immediately perked up from the bed when she heard this.

"What!" she almost screamed.

Artemis handed their child back to Holly. She looked closely at the child's face to see if Fowl was telling the truth, or just pulling her leg. "Look," Artemis told her as he handed her the child. She looked for a couple of minutes at the child, and then she noticed it. Their child had pointed elfin ears. These were defiantly not human ears at all.

"Oh My Gods." Holly proclaimed. "Your right. Those are elf ears." As she studied the child more that was resting on her lap, she noticed something else. The small patch of hair that grew on his scalp was a reddish auburn color. "He's even got my hair."

Fowl looked closer at his child as well, and she was right.

"I guess he takes some things after you as well." Fowl exclaimed to his wife.

They looked at their child once more. He looked like a mixture of Holly and Fowl put together. And in the end, he was now their child. But with the elf ears, it was a whole new territory of business. If the child had the powers of and elf, along with the ears, he was indubitably an elf, and thus, the child belonged underground. The council was going to be pissed.

"Yeah," Holly replied to Fowls statement. "I guess he does."

* * *

*about 3 months later.*

Fowl approached the doorway cautiously. He knew that Holly would probably be in a hell of a mood. Ever since their child got three months old, he basically became a hassle. Not that they no longer wanted him; Apollo was still their child. It's just once he got to the three month mark, Apollo became a crying, pooping, burping, eating machine. To top that off, Artemis had newer business companies to deal with around the world. And since Artemis didn't trust planes for Apollo's age (or any automobiles for that matter) Holly was left at home caring for the poop maniac.

Sometimes, if not most of the time, when Fowl got home, Holly was so pissed that she would throw something at him when he walked through the door.

It was not just the stress of having a three month old child to deal with that bothered her. About two weeks after the birth of their child, Holly and Fowl was ordered to take their child down to the lower elements and to visit the council immediately. Once they got there, millions of troops surrounded them and pushed them towards the meeting chamber. Their child was given to Foaly for the period of 2 hours to run small test on the child. Foaly got some D.N.A results and figured out that even though their child had the extra chromosome for magic, and indeed had elfin ears, he also had the lifespan of a mud man and would grow to the height of a normal mud man as well. When the council received this news they came to a conclusion. And this conclusion left Holly mad for years to come.

Since Apollo was half mud man, he couldn't live with the council. Gods forbid, if _another _mud man found out about the lower dwellings…..But since Apollo was also half fairy, he couldn't necessarily live on the surface. Too much exposure would get people wondering why the child had pointed ears. And since Holly would be the only close contact the child would have to mythical creatures, the council ordered that their child could no longer live with them after his second birth day.

and Holly personally lost her job too, because after council man Lope made that decision, Holly found him in the parking lot before he left and gave him two punches in the temples, and fist in his teeth, and a swift knee to the testicles.

The order to place Apollo away from them made Holly and Artemis cry almost half the night. It still haunted them to this day. And while Artemis was completely stricken with grief, Holly took it the worst. After Holly got mad at Fowl, she would usually cry herself to sleep, and wouldn't never speak another word to Artemis until morning.

But this time, Artemis came prepared. In his hand was a square object wrapped in gift wrap. The contents that were inside the wrap were a surprise. Fowl only hopped that Holly was at least in a good enough mood to not try to kill him. He hoped that he could give her this gift before she went all 'psycho' on his ass.

So when he opened the door, he made sure he did it slowly.

He heard the sound of a child crying, with a frantic Holly scampering around the room. As he peeked through the crack in the door, he saw that the child was nestled comfortably in his crib, yet the child cried uncontrollably. Holly was rushing back in forth in the room, and looked as if she was about to explode.

"What do you want." She asked the child, knowing that he wouldn't understand a thing she said. "Your bottle? How about your binky? Oh Gods. _Please just say something!" _

Fowl tried opening the door a little bit more to see. It was a big mistake on his part that he made. For when he opened the door, it accidently squeaked a bit. The infant Apollo suddenly stopped crying and perked up to the sound. Since Holly's ears were elfin as well, she immediately heard the quite squeak, and turned around towards the door. She noticed that the door moved a bit, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to know that Artemis had just gotten home from his business meeting in London, and was trying to sneak into the room

Holly immediately flipped. She ran towards the door and threw it open. Since Fowl's hand was on the knob, when Holly opened the door, Artemis immediately jerked forward. His face met an Angry Holly, and from the looks of it, she was already in psycho mode.

"Where the _hell _have you been?" Holly screamed. She pointed towards Apollo, who had now immediately fallen asleep for no apparent reason. "I've been here trying to take care of this damn child like you should be doing, and you've been all over the fucking planet. I HAD TO DEAL WITH MUD MAN POO! I can't believe you at all. What the Fuck is wrong w-"

She never finished the sentence. Artemis had attacked Holly's mouth with a ferocious kiss. His tongue entered the roof of her mouth and began to do the mystic dance. Holly's eyes immediately flew wide open. In normal circumstances, she would have melted with just one kiss. His kisses tended to do that to her. But today she was angrier than usual. She was shocked at what was happening. So she pushed Fowl away, and began to go off on a tirade.

"NO AMOUNT OF KISSES CAN MAKE UP FOR WHAT YOU ARE IN TROUBLE FOR!" she screamed. "THIS CHILD IS A HASSLE. SO WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I…"

Her voice drifted away as she looked down. She noticed the gift that was in his hands. And while she knew it was a gift, she still had to ask "What's this?"

"It is a gift for you." Artemis replied.

Holly was surprised. Fowl was usually one to receive gifts, and not give them. So there had to be a special motive behind this gift. Her eyebrows cocked.

"All right Arty." She stated. "What's the occasion?"

"Open it up and you'll see."

Holly slowly took the gift out of his hands. It was a medium sized gift that felt heavy, and had sharp corners. She lightly tapped the front of it and she noticed that the sound the object make when she tapped it made her believe it was glass. She tapped the back of it and it sounded like wood. She was really confused, so she opened it. She stared for a long time at the strange gift. Why in the world would Fowl give her a…..

"Picture frame?" She asked.

"It's not just a picture frame." He beamed. He tapped his fingers on the photo that was inside. "Take a good long look at this and tell me, by your perception, what do you see?"

Holly didn't look that long, for she didn't have to. The sample picture was that of a kid. He looked like he was somewhere around twelve to thirteen years of age. He had red hair that stood out like a sore thumb, since the rest of his body was so pale; it looked like he was a vampire. He had long lengthy fingers, and a lightly tone body. He had a very tall neck, looked very skinny, and had bright blue eyes.

"It's a sample picture of a teenager." She said. "So?"

"This is not a sample picture." Artemis told her. "This is a D.N.A altered photo."

"A what?" she asked. She looked up towards Fowl for an explanation.

"When I returned home and was walking through the Dublin Airport, I noticed this store that said 'D.N.A age alternative photos.' I thought It would be a thoughtful gift to give you."

"It'd be really sweet," Holly told him as she looked down on the photo. "If I knew what in Frond's name you were talking about."

Fowl sighed as he rubbed his index finger and his thumb across the top of his nose. He then looked up and took a deep breath in. "Let's set the scene here. Let's say that what if you had a very old family member that was so old that he or she didn't have a photo of themselves when they were…..let's just say…..7. with D.N.A. altered age photo's, you give a person working in the store some physical information about them; like weight, they age they are now, facial features, etcetera, and they run the information through a computer, along with a photo of the person you are alternating, and they give you a very accurate photo of what the person would look like when they were 7."

"We use to have things like that in the lower elements market district," Holly stated. "But when you live for decades, there not that much of a change between individual years. Although I can imagine for humans it's very different." She looked back at the photo, and studied the teenager once more. "So whose altered photo is this?"

Artemis Fowl gave off a chuckle. It was a chuckle that he used when he was smug, or very happy. Usually, this meant bad news for Holly. This time, it was different. He pointed at the photo once more.

"When I got home at the Dublin airport, I gave the lady behind the booth some information from his birth certificate and the wonderful photo of our child." He tapped his finger on the photo once more. "Honey, that is Apollo when he's 15."

The first thing she did was blink rapidly. She blinked so many times so fast that Fowl thought her eyelashes were going to fly off. The second thing that happened was her eyes bugged out to the size of saucers. The third thing she did was look back at the infant Apollo who was fast asleep in his crib. She looked back at the picture, and then back at the baby. She snapped her head between the photo and her child; back and forth, back and forth. She snapped her head between the two so fast that her head motions almost became a blur. She looked like she was about to have and epileptic seizure and then, she screamed.

"Oh my Gods!" she proclaimed.

Immediately, Arty's fingers went forward and shushed her lips. "Sssh." He proclaimed softly. He looked back at his child behind Holly's shoulder. Apollo was still asleep, peacefully dreaming. He looked so precious. He turned his attention back to Holly; whose mouth was gaped open in amazement.

"This is our son?" she whispered quietly.

"Yes." Fowl whispered back.

She started jumping up and down franticly, like a teenage girl at a pop band concert.

"This is really our son?" she exclaimed.

"Again," Fowl stated. "I said yes."

"Oh my Gods Arty!" she exclaimed quietly. "He is such the handsome young man. We made a hell of a kid huh?"

Fowl smirked smugly at Holly's remarks about their child. _Maybe he gets his handsomeness from my genes, _he thought.

"Yes," Artemis stated. "I believe we did."

Holly's laughter in amazement suddenly died down; as the look of confusion spread across her face. More importantly, she looked as if she were thinking. Artemis didn't know what to expect. Holly looked up at her husband, and said one word while cocking her brow. "Why?" she asked.

Artemis smirked and chuckled a bit at this statement. He fully understood what she was asking. Why was Artemis Fowl giving her this photo of their future son? He walked up slowly to her and brushed her cheeks with the palm of his hand. He kissed her softly on the lips, and then her neck. After that, he whispered in her ear.

"Is it possible that I just love you so much and this gift came out of pure love and has no other purpose or underlining theme?"

She moaned softly as she wrapped her hands around his neck. She kissed him softly and the lips. He looked back into her eyes. She smiled as she gave her answer. "Nope."

Fowl smiled. _Defeated again by my wife, _he thought. _Drat. _

He took the picture from her hands and walked slowly to the bed. Holly followed him. He sat across his bed and placed the picture on the nightstand; right next to Apollo's crib. He looked so precious while he slept. Fowl smiled tenderly. Knowing that this was his child made him warm inside. Holly then joined Artemis right beside him next to the bed, as they watched their child peacefully dream.

"Listen Holly," he stated caringly, "Your right. I gave you this picture for a reason, other than because I love you very much."

"What is it?" Holly asked.

"In two years time, we are no longer going to see our child," Fowl said as he motioned his hand before there sleeping son. "The council made the ruling that he would half to live with someone else. And what makes me angrier than that, is to see you get angry at him when you should be cherishing these moments. They only stay precious for just a second. And sure, right now, our child may seem just like a machine hell bent on destroying half his diapers we buy him. Sure, right now he passes gas and regurgitates, and defecates, and belches, and let's be honest here; he sometimes smells. But, 15 years from now, he is going to be this grown teenager. He won't take much advice from anybody, and he won't know you. But when you see him, if we ever see him again, you're going to remember what he was like when he was like this," Artemis stated as he extended his hand towards the sleeping infant. "And you are going to cherish this moment in your head for a long time."

Holly completely understood what he meant by this gift. She understood that she should love her child more often, now that she knew he would leave soon. Frankly, sometimes after her tirades, she'd feel awful about how she acted to her son. But she couldn't help it that the kid went through almost 10 diapers a day. Still, she understood the gift, and with that, she kissed her husband on the cheek and stated "You're right."

"I always am." He stated.

She smiled.

"Smug bastard." She whispered.

"Don't push me fairy," he stated seductively.

She moaned and kissed him once more on the lips. Then they went back to watching their child. Suddenly a thought popped into Holly's head.

"Did you find an adoptive mother?" she asked.

"You're going to love this." he stated almost giggling.

"What?" she asked almost worried.

"Do you remember a little French girl by the name of Minerva?" he said fully knowing that she remembered the blonde haired girl.

It didn't take long for Holly to put two and two together.

"You serious?" she asked amazed as she supported herself with her elbows on the bed. "You mean to tell me that Minerva wants to be our adoptive mother."

"You're absolutely right." He told her. "You see, Minerva found out that her reproductive system is dysfunctional and that she can never have children.

"That's horrible Arty." Holly stated shocked.

"It certainly is," he proclaimed. "I told her about our child and the situation we are having, and she said that she was getting a long term job in New York. She'll live there for about twenty years. She always wanted to be a mother, and sense Minerva was a good friend, I told her that if it was okay with my wife, she could legally adopt our child, and he could live with Minerva in New York."

"I don't know," she mumbled to herself. "This is Minerva we are talking about right?"

"Yes," he exclaimed. "And I know that the few times we've met Minerva she always acted like a b-i-t-c-h…."

Holly cocked a brow, trying to understand why Artemis spelled out the word instead of saying it.

"I'm not going to say it in front of our child." He told her. "But Holly, think about it. It's perfect. First off, Minerva is rich like the rest of us. Secondly, she won't be living in the city part of New York. She's living in a mansion, in a small town only a few miles away from the actual city. And thirdly, and most importantly, New York is the prefect environment for our son. It's the straw in the great melting pot that is the U.S. He'll learn to appreciate all cultures, and to never be bias. He'll be open, and friendly, and most importantly, he'll have more 'human' friends than I ever had. He'll have the life that I wished I had. It nothing short of perfect."

Holly let the thought roll around in her mind for a bit. It seemed like a good idea, but something seemed off about it. Maybe it was just because she really didn't trust Minerva. Or maybe it was because New York seemed like the perfect place to raise an asshole. But in the end, however, as Fowl stated earlier, he was always right. Apollo would have the perfect life in New York with Minerva. So, with a long sigh, she said, "Okay."

Artemis replied by kissing her on the cheek.

Soon that kiss became heated.

Soon, Holly felt like she was going to explode if she didn't get more of Artemis.

But then, they were interrupted by a soft sound; almost a whisper. It was a cooing from their child. And it was the most precious sound they ever heard. Immediately, they stopped kissing and turned their attention to their child. They watched him intently, like a teenager wrapped in his favorite video game. Suddenly, their small infant child stretched his arms and gave off a yawn.

They couldn't help it. But at that particular moment, both Artemis and Holly said at the same time, "aww."

Fowl took the child from his crib; careful not to disturb his sleep, and carried him off to the main nursery. Knowing that Holly would want to finish what they started earlier, he didn't want to affect their child's fragile mind in some way. So he carried the child to the nursery, lightly bouncing him on the way their as Artemis walked.

When he reached the nursery, Fowl lightly placed the tiny child in the large crib. Once he tucked his child in, he was about to walk away, when he fully realized how much he fully loved his child. _Make every moment count. _He thought. _God, remember when you use to believe that 4 was the number of death. _

He walked slowly back to the crib, watching his child as he slept. He leaned forward slowly, and kissed his child on the cheek. He whispered softly into the night,

"Good night Apollo; my one and only precious son."

When he walked off towards the main bed, one thought was in his mind.

_Apollo, what a great name._

* * *

**Wow!. What a long ass first chapter. Sorry if I lost your attention. I promise that the next chapter will be shorter. I really hoped that you enjoyed this story. Please give me some reviews. Again, if you read this on September 1****st****, it's my birthday. My only wish is for this to get some reviews. Please spread the word. You guys are awesome and I truly love you all. **

**The next update may be a while. I'm currently playing in the high school softball league with my friends and we have a tournament to attend to. The last tournament we went to, we won first place. We had a victory party, and some of the bad news kids had a hangover in the morning. Don't worry though; I was nowhere near them when they brought out the alcohol. I was long gone by then.**

**I just got my drivers permit. (hell yeah.) now I get to finally be behind the wheel of a car.**

**Thank you to all who have supported me and read this story. New chapters will be added. I promise.**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	2. Rock and Roll ain't noise polution

**Here's the next chapter. Sorry for the wait. But September is the busiest month for students in extracurricular activities in our school. Firstly, Our softball team went to the district tournament and got 2****nd**** place. Also, my FFA chapter (which I'm a part of) had its annual welcome back BBQ, along with it's all day field day. Our school's marching band and drum line marched at the homecoming parade. And Jr, basketball practice just started. (Freshmen can help with Jr. high basketball.) Add all of these activities with school and band practice, (both marching band and my friend's rock band,) and you got a long ass week where I couldn't find any time to type. Luckily, all of that is over, and with no more interruptions, here it is. Chapter 2.**

**Song: Fooling yourself (the angry young man.) By: Styx.**

"_Being a teenager is the worst…30 years of your life. Peer Pressure, acne, final exams, drugs, alcohol, and 7 little mustache hairs. Luckily, none of the girls noticed your infantile mustache because they were hypnotized by the fire engine sized zit on your forehead."_

_Christopher Titus._

New York city; Population: 8,391,881. If you divided that portion out to the people who live in the borough of Queens, you got around 2 million people. Queens is one of the few sections of New York that retains many urban qualities. Some people call Queen's, one of the more down to earth, places in New York. Others call Queens a gang infested and overlapping town problem.

But for Apollo, he called it home.

Apollo loved Queen's. He loved how it had that strange smell in the morning. It was that mixture of a small town, urban society, and how close it was to the large city that made Apollo rise in the morning and greet the day with a smile. He loved how it was the cultural center of many great Jazz musicians (like Louis Armstrong, and Count Basie,) and yet it was also home to one of the most in your face, overpowering, punk bands on the planet; The Ramones. He loved how West Queen's was an artistic hub. He loved how East Queen's was very diverse as if an explosion of cultures took place. He loved how south Queen's was near the ocean, complete with a boardwalk and waterways. And he absolutely loved northwest Queen's because that was home to Forest Hills Queen's.

And that, my friends, was his home.

He lived in the Forest Hill Gardens with his single mom, Minerva. Apollo was not sure where his dad is or who his dad was. When he was young, he'd sometimes ask her where his dad went to. And sometimes he'd ask why he was so different from his mother. They were almost nothing alike. Minerva Paradizo was a French girl with class and elegance. She was polite and sweet half the time, and even though there were moments when she would be stuck up and 'bitchy' like she was in her youth, she learned one day in her life, to grow up, and she would take time to relax, and think for other's and not just herself.

Apollo, as far as he was concerned, thought he was a pure blooded American, even though his Mom was French. When he was around friends, he teased and joked a lot. Most of the time, he was very self righteous and although no one thought of him as a doucebag, they knew that he was very full of himself. He'd admit it too; he had a hell of a big head. Some day's he was quiet, while other days he was in the mood to just grab a megaphone and say "Fuck You" to the entire world. He thought of himself as a bit psycho, because his hormones were causing his emotions to switch drastically from "I love you," to "I'll fucking kill you," in only a matter of seconds. And most importantly, he was a bit of an Asshole.

But the thing that made Apollo different from all of the other stuck up, arrogant, psychotic, hormone raging teens out there, was that he was very self aware that he was all of these things. He knew that he was a bit psychotic. He knew that he had a big head. He knew who he was. If he could describe himself as a candy, he'd be an outer chocolate shell of musical talent, with some charming sprinkles on the side, surrounding a gooey white center of raging arrogant a-hole. And because he was prideful, he lived by the Denis Leary motto. "I'm an Asshole, and I'm proud of it."

Apollo loved everything about his life. He had a rich mom with a beautiful Mansion in The Forest Hills Park. He had an IPod with at least nine hundred and seventy five of his favorite songs raging from David Bowie, (13 songs) to Led Zeppelin (25 songs), to Pink Floyd (54 songs), to Kanye West (3 songs), to Run DMC (9 songs), and The Beatles (100 exactly). He had an adequate popularity, so he had many friends, but not too many friends. He was somewhere around the middle of being well known, to being unknown. (As Bob Dylan put it, almost 'like a rolling stone,') And he had somewhat okay motor skills and fine taste.

He loved everything about his life;

Except for two things.

Public school (for obvious reasons) and most importantly, Bullies.

"Hey Apollo," one bully screamed from the back of the Pick-up truck as they drove to school and started to pass Apollo on Austin Ave.

Apollo was currently skateboarding to school. He received his drivers permit a few weeks ago, but he still loved Skateboarding to school. He still to this day doesn't know why he likes to skateboard to school. In Fact, he didn't even think about driving to school. Skateboarding to school became a habit. It was almost a compulsion. It was a sort of action of a reaction for his morning routine.

And speaking of reactions, when Apollo heard someone shout his name, he immediately turned around.

And was greeted with a snowball to the face.

The group of bullies started laughing and pointing, as they drove away down the street towards school as well.

Now, in normal circumstances, Apollo would have just taken advice from The Beatles, and just "Let it be." (God, he loved that song.) This time however, things were different. For starters, Apollo hadn't even got to school yet. He already get's pushed around by a few upperclassmen during school hours, now he has to take crap before he even gets to the opening doors? Secondly, some of the snow landed on his new jacket, which his mom bought for him for his birthday, and the jacket itself, cost around 300 dollars.

But most importantly, the snow had a strange taste to it. It was a salty taste, with a sour punch. It tasted awful and Apollo knew that this substance shouldn't be on anyone's tongue.

It was then that he realized, that the snowball that was projected at his face, was covered in dog piss.

Those jackasses tossed a piss ball right into Apollo's face.

Well that did it for him.

"You Fuckers!" he screamed as he chased after them on his skateboard.

The bullies didn't even boost their speed. They weren't scared of anything. Apollo was in their opinion, the weakest guy in their school. He couldn't even do one pull up in gym.

In Apollo's defense, he would say that millions of other kids couldn't do a pull up either.

These bullies just teased him back. They waved middle fingers at Apollo, and stuck their tongues out at them. They acted so childish, and in normal circumstances, Apollo would have just shrugged their childish acts off. But after getting a piss ball thrown at him in the face, those small acts only boosted his anger more, and caused Apollo to push with his left foot more, and gain his speed.

"I'll kick you asses!" he proclaimed.

"Yeah," one bully stated, "If you can freaking catch us you fatty."

"I'm not even fat!" he screamed. "I'm 154 pounds. And 5 foot 8 inches tall. If anything I'm normal."

"Normal?"One bully questioned. "Dude, you have a birth defect where your ears are pointed homo. I'm pretty sure that with your red hair, pointed ears, pale complexion, and freckles, you're a freakin elf."

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Apollo screamed as he covered his pointy ears. He was very sensitive about this subject. Apollo was born with ears like this. They looked like they belonged on a mythical creature and not on a human being. Apollo was prideful on many things, but this subject was something that he wasn't so proud of. Ever since preschool, he was typecast as a freak due to his looks. This caused Apollo to get very angry at times someone would call him either an elf, or a dwarf. So when the bully made this comment, Apollo felt a sudden surge of electric energy sweep through his system. And he took off three times faster.

As Apollo chased after the Bullies and shouted insults as insults were spewed back at him, he didn't take time to notice that he was getting near Todd's house. Todd was one of Apollo's few friends that had been with him since possibly preschool. They were almost like twins. They were in the same sports together, the same groups together, and even skateboarded together on the way to school. That's why Apollo chose this route over the others every day, just so he could chat with his buddy.

Unfortunately, for Apollo, he completely forgot why he was on this street, due to his anger levels. And since Todd was just starting to leave his apartment complex, Apollo was about 30 seconds away from smashing into Todd.

The Bullies, however, noticed this. And the one behind the wheel immediately gunned it, shouting at Apollo, "Later loser."

Apollo pushed himself three more times down the street, trying to gain speed. But when he noticed that the truck was now long gone, he hung his head in defeat, and just glided down the street. While he was pretty upset that he didn't get his revenge at this moment, he knew that Karma would sooner or later get its revenge on those bullies.

When he looked up, he noticed that Todd was just exiting his home. He also noticed that he was traveling so fast it felt like he was going 55 miles per hour in a car. What he really noticed, was that Todd was coming up so fast, that impact was going to be painful, and that if he wanted to decrease pain on impact, he'd have to stop immediately.

But, as everyone knows, skateboards have no brakes.

"Todd," he stated, almost out of realization.

Todd opened up his bottled Coke and began to drink. Apollo still couldn't slow down.

"Todd," Apollo stated a bit louder this time. He also had the tone of a warning.

When Apollo shouted his name the second time, Todd twitched his eyes towards the source of the noise. He fully noticed Apollo coming towards him at blazing speeds. His eyes widen as he started to lift the Coke down and turn his head fully to Apollo. It was almost like watching a car crash. He knew that there was going to be destruction, but there was nothing he could do to stop it.

"TODD!" Apollo screamed out of horror as he knew that it was now far too late.

Todd closed his eyes out of shear instinct, and braced himself for impact. As both of them were fully aware of, impact was happening whether they liked it or not. Apollo slammed into Todd with fury. At first, Impact was so fast that Todd felt like a brick wall. But it wasn't long before Todd crashed into the ground as well. Todd's knees buckled and landed on his ass. His elbow knocked on the hard concrete and a sharp pain went up his funny bone. For Apollo however, the force was so strong it knocked him off his feet, literally. Anything that was on Apollo's person at the time was thrown into the air, along with anything on Todd's person. The air was now a sea of soda, skateboards, and book bags. All of these items landed on the two friends on the ground, who were moaning and groaning in pain.

"Ow," Todd moaned out of shear pain. "What...The…hell just happened."

"I fucking nailed you man," Apollo replied. "God my ass hurts."

"My arm hurts." Todd replied.

"Good for you," Apollo stated. "You just fell. You didn't get knocked off our ass and turned over in the air like you were on a roller costar now were you?"

Todd shrugged this off as Apollo being Apollo. As he rubbed his arm, he smiled. He got up from the ground, laughing, and extended an arm to the squirming Apollo. "It's good to see you man." He stated.

Apollo saw the hand and reached out to grab it. Todd yanked him from the ground and Apollo was immediately on his feet. He took a breath in, as he smelled the warm Queen's air. And after that, he began to smile as well. He shook Todd's hand.

"It' good to see you too, buddy." Apollo replied.

And with that, Todd grabbed his skateboard from the ground. Apollo did the same as well. They took the time to comment about each other's wheels and rims, before taking off down the street; fully aware of their surroundings this time. For Apollo, skateboarding was easy. At first, it felt as if he had two left feet. But now, Apollo could glide down the street as if he owned the turf. After a couple of minutes just casually gliding down the street, and dodging obstacles on the sidewalk, Apollo began their morning routine by speaking.

"So, what you've been up to?" Apollo asked.

"I just bought Disturbed's new album." Todd began.

"How great was that?" Apollo exclaimed.

"I know." Todd praised. "It was truly mind blowing man."

"I wish I could say the same for The Flaming lips." Apollo groaned as he dodged a rock. "I just bought _Embryonic _last week."

Todd cocked a brow as both him, and Apollo crossed the crosswalk. "Dude, didn't that album get released like a year ago?"

"Yeah, I know." Apollo stated as he and Todd dodged civilians on their morning route. "I was afraid to buy it because I would listen to thirty second samples and they didn't sound all that good. Eventually I saw it at the record store down town and I decided to buy it."

"How was it?" Todd asked.

Apollo sighed. Todd knew from the tone of that sigh that Apollo was disappointed with the album. But still, he wanted to hear his friend's opinion on the new kicks from _the lips. _"There were a few good songs that I placed on my IPod; such as 'Convinced of a Hex' 'Worm Mountain' and 'Silver trembling hands,' which I really enjoyed. Unfortunately, most of the album suffered from TTBTL."

Todd was very confused. "TTBTL?" he asked as he turned to the left along with Apollo.

"Trying to be too loud." He exclaimed as he made his turn as well.

"What's wrong with being too loud?" Todd asked as they started to slow down, noticing the crosswalk starting to turn red. "I mean, isn't rock suppose to be insanely loud anyways."

Once they stopped at the crosswalk, and waited for the crosswalk to symbol go, Apollo sighed and grabbed his hair. There were some days that Todd really understood why Apollo liked his kind of music. Other days, such as now, Apollo would have to give Todd a lecture on rock appreciation and theory.

"Okay," Apollo stated, trying to keep cool. "First of all, The Flaming lips are not just rock, they are a special breed of rock. They are like in a dimension between college rock and prog rock. Secondly, while rock is about being loud and kicking ass, that's not the only reason rock rules. Rock is about making a message out of music, telling a story, but making sure that there is a mind blowing riff or melody, and great rhythm and tempo that goes along with the song. Just because you can play your guitar loud, doesn't mean you could play it good. That's why I don't really care for Black Flag."

"Well at least Black Flag got some records sold. Hell, at least Black Flag even had _a _record." Todd stated as he started off his board. And once both him and his friend reached the other side, Todd stated the words that would change Apollo's life forever. "I just wished my band could even get an album off the ground."

Apollo immediately stopped, (which is a bad idea when you're on a skateboard) and while he was lost in his train of thought, he immediately lost all control and fell face first to the concrete. The board went flying in the air, and as Apollo winced in pain and rolled on the ground, Todd jumped off his board, grabbed it before it rolled away, and then went to Apollo's side to aid his buddy.

"You okay, man." Todd asked.

Apollo looked up. The expression on his face was one half anger, and one half surprised.

"Rock Band?" Apollo exclaimed.

Todd looked up and his chest heaved. This symbolized that Todd was fully aware of what Apollo was referring to.

"Yeah," Todd stated. "Well, me and a couple of my friends started this band about 5 months ago. We were going to ask you in it, but my friend Jason already had a drummer, and he was pretty good. Besides, you were in the middle of Basketball season."

"God, worst decision of my life," Apollo stated. "But why can't I be in your band now?"

Todd suddenly got this strange look on his face. He brought one finger to his chin and tapped it twice as he looked away. Apollo, who for some reason was naturally gifted with the ability to understand body language, knew that Todd was thinking about his jester. Then Todd looked up. Apollo recognized a certain spark in his eyes. It was as if to say, 'hey kid, I got a proposition for you.'

"Maybe you can." Todd stated as he looked at Apollo. Apollo patiently waited for his friend to continue the conversation. "Our drummer," Todd began. "He's a good guy and all. You have him in your class. You know, Stanley Hibbins?"

"Oh yeah," Apollo remarked. "Stanley and I we're bro's"

"Well," Todd stated. "About two weeks ago, Stan just flat out disappeared."

"What do you think happened to him?"

"We don't know," Todd stated. "It was as if he just was whisked away. He left practice and told us that he'd be in tomorrow, and he didn't show up. And he hasn't shown up for the past two weeks. We're thinking he's either deep in his studies or he is sick. Anyways, we got a gig playing at the halftime show for our school's Jr. High Football team, and we need a drummer. So I'm just thinking off the top of my head here, but, do you want to be the drummer in our band?"

Apollo looked to the heavens with a smile, and laughed. He had a special giddiness in his attitude that reminded Todd of a three year old. Apollo was practically shaking in joy. "Does a Zebra have stripes," Apollo jokingly stated. "Hell yeah I want to join." And with that, he grabbed Todd in a powerful bear-hug. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Apollo proclaimed.

"Dude," Todd said with his voice cracking. "You're hugging me a bit tight there."

Apollo let go and Todd took in a deep breath. "Sorry," Apollo stated.

"It's okay," Todd coughed. Once Todd finally stopped hacking up whatever Apollo dislodged in his bear hug, Todd said something that truly surprised the pointed ear boy. "Do you want to try out?"

Apollo stepped back with a confused look on his face. "What; today?" Apollo asked.

"No sunshine, two years from now behind the Olive garden. _Of course today!" _Todd exclaimed.

Apollo had a disgruntle look on his face. He didn't know if he should try out right now or not. On one hand, this was the opportunity of a lifetime. For years, it had been Apollo's dream to be in a rock band, write some material, and dominate the world with his music. He loved music. Music was his life. And with Todd and him together, writing music and playing music, this could make Apollo's dreams come true. On the other hand, Apollo's grades were slipping up a bit, and it wasn't going to help him if he was late to his first hour class.

"I don't know…." Apollo stated under his breath.

"Look," Todd began. "The place where we practice is only a block away from school, and you should only be five minutes late. Besides, isn't your teacher mister DeFrane. He is a bastard. Fuck that guy. Come on, just a quick interview and try out, and then you can be off to class."

"Wait; _only a block away?_" Apollo questioned trying to see if what he heard was true.

"Uh-huh." Todd replied.

"Shit dude, that's all you had to say." Apollo stated with a smile. He was so giddy he almost acted like an elementary school girl. He was going to try out and play in a real rock band with one of his best friends. So, with joy and happiness filling his heart, Apollo immediately burst forward on his skateboard, and Todd got in front of him, directing Apollo to the way of the band hang out.

_This is going to be the greatest day of my life! _Apollo thought to himself happily.

* * *

Many people consider Puerto Rico to be paradise. The warm air, the sandy beaches, and all of the beautiful woman make the island a spectacular spot for many tourist. And it's a well known fact, that these tourist rage from many different demographics; from single men looking for one night stands, to family and friends.

But here is a fact that is not well known. San Juan, the capitol of Puerto Rico, is one of the biggest tourist spots for Fairy folk.

The San Juan shuttle port is one of the most populous places for fairy folk. The underground inhabitants' love the sandy paradise and the ocean as well. And the night times is one of the many times where the fairy folk flock to this island, and 'party,' especially during full moons. The energy that the fairy folk feel from the moon when they reach this island, along with the warm air, the night time coolness, the sand, the water, and how close they can actually be to nature, the place becomes a full on party parade.

And every bit of fairy folk loved this destination; Goblins, Elfs, sprites, pixies, and yes, even Dwarfs; Especially at night. For the well known fact is that dwarfs hate sunlight.

But when the lights go down, San Juan was the perfect place for a Dwarf with a thirst for party.

Or, in Mulches case, Food.

He was currently seated at a table, completely covered in camo foil, and hanging out among the humans. One of Foaly's greatest technological advances in the past 15 years was a camo foil suit that could completely wrap the body, yet leave the inhabitant of the suit to fully able to eat, sleep, and even talk among the humans, without the Mud men even aware of their presence. Anything that the occupant grabbed would suddenly disappear as well. It was sort of like giving someone the ability to shield, even if they couldn't shield. So in Mulch's case, having this suit was basically a good thing. He could eat all the food he wanted to in this fabulous Mud man restaurant, and they wouldn't even know what had happened to their food. So really, there was nothing holding this dwarf from devouring every single piece of food in this restaurant.

Except for one thing.

While Mulch sat a table, with many different food items that he had stolen from the other tables, the front door opened. The man that walked through the front door looked very suspicious. He was covered in a trench coat, even though it was around 95 degrees outside. The man also sported a black hat that blocked out most of his face, and he had strange orange glowing shades that blocked most of his face. On top of that, he was short, really short. He could have been mistaken for a small child if it wasn't for the fact that he looked buffed out, and that the remaining hair that was showing out of his hat was a buzz cut. At first, Mulch had no clue who this man (or possibly fairy) was. It wasn't until he smelled the fungus cigar smoke that Mulch started waving to the man like a maniac.

"Hey Root! Hey Julius Root!" Mulch screamed.

The man immediately flinched towards the dwarf. His facial expression, though covered with the orange glasses, was very angry. He walked towards Mulch with blazing speed, and once he reached the dwarfs table, he smacked him upside the head. (Though, if anyone were to see him, it would have looked like the man was striking thin air.) After the initial small blow, Mulch started rubbing the back of his head in pain, as the man sat himself down on a chair right in front of the dwarf.

"You know that you're not suppose to use my real name, idiot." Root stated.

Mulch immediately opened his mouth, and started screaming.

"Oh my god!" Mulch screamed sarcastically shocked. "It's Julius Root. It's freaking Julius Root." Then Mulch began to speak to Root personally. "No one cares!" he exclaimed. "Everyone thinks you're dead. Besides, no one can see or hear me except for you because you have that earpiece and those glasses. And you're in Mud man territory. Oh, and by the way, nice hat. You are you trying to look like; a secrete agent?"

Root shrugged this comment off, and laid his hat down on the table. And after scratching an itch behind his head he began his business.

"Before I go talking about our mission, I'd like to thank you for accepting my offer. And I also like to thank you for saving my life back there at the shuttle port."

"You're very welcome." Mulch stated smug. "It's just another day from me; saving people back from the dead, and shooting up corrupt LEP members. Just another day. Yawn."

"But don't you be getting a big head." He stated in his gruff tone as he use to do. "We got a serious mission on our hands, and I don't need you to get smug before we take this plan into action. Which brings me up to our first order of business. Did you hold up your end of the bargain?"

After Mulch finished chewing a biscuit he grabbed from the table, he began to speak.

"Of course," he stated. "I'd do anything for you man, as long as it's not during my sleeping time, or when I just don't feel like it."

Root grumbled, disappointed that Mulch was the same sarcastic, smug, and lazy dwarf as he usually was.

After a few seconds of quiet, Root could no longer keep quiet.

"Well?" Julius questioned. "Can you get past security?"

"I tell you," Mulch began. "It's not easy breaking into that place. There's limestone, concrete, and all kinds of minerals that is not good for my tummy. Don't worry though, I found an opening. It's the same exact place as last time! This kid is supposed to be a genius and he forgets to protect the one place I broke into last time? Unbelievable. Anyways I can get you through that same hole, but it will be a bit tricky."

"What about cameras?" Julius asked.

"I got around a 15 minute window." Mulch stated. "But before I can continue, I got to ask you a question."

"Shoot," Root stated.

"We need to bring in the photos, but custom agents will check our baggage, and they'll want to see what's on the film. So how do we get that past security?"

Root suddenly did something that scared the living shit out of Mulch. It was something so simple, yet so out of character that made Mulch questioned how well Root's mental satiability was after the experiment. Julius Root, past commander of the LEP, though as nails Root, smiled. It was a devilish devious smile that only one like Artemis Fowl could produce. As the Beetroot did this, he reached into a bag that he had carried with him, and pulled out something that confused the dwarf even more. With an evil smile, Julius Root pulled out, shaving cream.

"What's with the shaving cream?" he asked. "You barley even have a beard anymore."

Suddenly, Root started twisting the bottle of shaving cream, and, surprisingly, the bottle began to undo itself.

"The bottom screws open." Root explained smiling.

Mulch suddenly began laughing. It was genius. Shear, unadulterated brilliance. Once Root finally placed the fake cap on the counter, the inside of the can turned out to be a metal container. He pressed one button, and the bottom popped out, reveling a hole to place the roll of film. Mulch was giddy like a school kid. This was awesome. Root placed the fake can back together in front of Mulch's eyes, and continued his speech. "The paint is lead so the X-rays will have trouble picking out the item. And Customs could check it if they want," and with that, Root pressed the top, and shaving cream appeared on the palm of his hand. "And all they'll get is this."

"This is awesome" the dwarf exclaimed.

Root placed the fake can back in his bag.

"So, fifteen minutes?" Root asked.

"Mm, hm." Mulch hummed yes as he ate a pork rib. "Exactly. Fifteen minutes, and then you and Holly can catch up on fifteen years of Apollo's life;And 30 missing years on your own."

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a tall, pissed off, Puerto Rican rushed over to the table that Root was sitting at. When he reached the destination, he slapped the table, causing a loud thud and made Root jump in surprise. Mulch was very shocked to. Many people stood by this man's side. His eyes were wild with anger. The man breathed heavily and stared at Root. Suddenly, he pointed, and shouted at Julius, "You. You're the one who stole all the food. Pay Now!"

"What?" Root asked, flabbergasted at what was going on.

One man chimed in from the back. "Half of us have been losing bits of our meals all night, and we've been wondering where it went. So now, we find your table, filled with most of our food. And since you've already contaminated our food with your mouth germs, we want you to pay up now."

Julius finally put two and two together. The People have mistaken him for being the food stealing culprit tonight, when in fact, it was Mulch who stole all the food for his enjoyment. Of course, no one could see mulch at the time, so if Root said, "I'm not the one who did it, he is." And pointed to thin air, the occupants would think he was crazy. So Root sighed, and decided to pay.

"How much?" Root asked.

"85$" the man immediately replied.

Root started having a fit of anger like he use to in his glory days, and it looked like he was about to have an aneurism.

"85$!" Root practically screamed. He barley had that kind of money. He started stuttering, and tried placing the blame on Mulch, but of course, he knew, that nobody saw the dwarf sitting in front of him. But Root, in all his anger, gave Mulch a death stare that could have burned the side of his neck. Root wanted Mulch to revel himself, and pay for the food.

Instead, Mulch wrapped his arms over each other, and told Root, "Hey man. Don't get cheap on me."

* * *

Marcus's Corner is really the only bar on Queen's that has anything for children to do while their parents take a shot. In fact, it may possibly be the only bar that allows children. The place is decked out in giant arcade games that kids go to and pop in quarters for hours on in. That's why Marcus let kids into his bar, and why wouldn't he? As long as those kids were giving him more money by ordering hamburgers, pizzas and playing arcade games for literary days, he was happy. He really didn't mind the laws that talked about minors in bars. Of course, he had morals. He never gave a minor a drink, and he created the restaurant a no smoking zone. However, if he broke one rule that the state of New York made, it was the fact that he still let kids into the place. To tell the truth, he needed the money. His big dream was to pay rent. With an economy like this, in times like these, dreams can only be so small.

So when Todd asked Marcus if he and his rock band buddies could hang out in the upstairs, set up equipment, practice of few times a week, & would pay him $30 for each practice, Marcus couldn't refuse. In fact, Marcus chipped in on helping Todd buy equipment. For starters, Todd had been a good friend of Marc for years, and secondly, he would actually literally be paying him back over the course of 3 months.

There was only one rule, don't get too loud.

Of course, being teenagers, the band mates broke that rule occasionally.

Case in point, when Apollo walked upstairs with Todd to try out for the band, he could hear one bass guitar and synthesizers jamming out the chores to Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer." It was so loud, Apollo felt like he was actually at a concert. It had loud bass, great ear splitting syths, and the best part of it was the singing. It wasn't a Gabriel voice, but it sounded very close to it. The only way he could describe the voice, was if Peter Gabriel and Fergie had a child, that child was the one singing.

"I kicked the habit / I shed my skin / this is the new stuff / and I go, dancing in." The voice sang.

Apollo lifted his head high, only to bring it down and softly head bang. He loved music. Music, he felt, was a part of his life. He felt that he couldn't live without music. In fact, sometimes, he would ask the teacher if he may use the restroom, only to skip class, stay in a stall, and pop in his IPod and listen to the song that was on his mind the most.

As the song got louder, and higher, and greater, Apollo began to shake his head to the rhythm more. His movements became so frantic that Todd worried for his health.

"Wow dude!" he screamed. Immediately, Apollo stopped his dancing. "You were shaking like a leaf on a tree. Dude, calm down. It's just Peter Gabriel."

Apollo's mouth gapped open in shock. He looked at Todd as if Todd just shot his best friend.

"_Just _Peter Gabriel? That's like saying it's _only _Michael Jordan. I swear to god dude. Without him, there'd be no 'Genesis'"

"Actually," Todd stated. "I think that Peter was just optional, and really it was Phil Collins who was the brains behind the operation."

"I tend to think of Peter and Phil like Peanut butter and jelly." Apollo stated. "You _can _have one without the other, _but _it isn't as good."

Todd silently shook his head in agreement, and with that, they walked the rest of the way upstairs.

The room looked old. And it was old in the sense of it came from the street, not like an old person old, but more of a ghetto old. The walls were interwoven with spray painted gang symbols (no one was sure where they came from) cracks in the walls, and chunks of plaster just missing. The walls were covered in Rock and roll posters, ranging from Led Zeppelin to Green day. There purpose there, at first, was to try and cover up the missing chunks of the walls. But now, it seemed that the Rock and roll memorabilia's only purpose was just to look good, and add to the punk atmosphere. (as if to say in true punkish fashion 'Yeah, we know that living conditions are horrible. So?'.)

Apollo really liked this room. it had the look and feel of rock and roll itself. It had that rebellious nature to it. It also had that feeling that something great was going to happen here. As if to say, whatever happens, if the band made it huge, this was the place where it all started. What Apollo like more than the nature of this room, were the people inside it. They didn't were leather jackets, they weren't skateboarders, and they weren't rappers. They were just dressed in normal attire. They were just _normal. _That was something that Apollo strived to be every day. But it is kind of hard to try and look normal, when you have ears with pointed tips and people mistake you for an elf.

The man behind the keyboards, wore a "Rush" t-shirt, and had short messy hair. He was nothing to big, but Apollo had to admit that the dude had some serious keyboarding skills. But, he wasn't really the person he was focused on.

There was a girl behind the base guitar. She looked lovely, even if all he saw was her back. She had long flowing black hair, and wore a black and silver t-shirt that ended at her belly button. This gave Apollo a great view of her hips, and he noticed a 'tramp stamp,' right at the end of her back. Then came the rest of the backside, which Apollo was staring at for _far _too long. He knew it was wrong to feel this frisky over a girl he just met, but she looked so great. The curves, the pinned stripped tattoo, her tan skin, the black flowing hair, and what Apollo loved most of all, was how well she played. She had great skills on the bass guitar, and she knew how to handle a song well. _I wonder how well she could handle 'other things,' _he deviously thought. But what he loved most of all, was how great she could sing. Her voice sounded like it came from an angle. And to top it all off, she was really getting into the song she was singing.

"Come on Come on, help me to!" she screamed the lyrics.

Suddenly the piano man looked up, and noticed Apollo and Todd watching the girl sing. He tapped her on the shoulder, and that's when she shone her face.

Apollo felt as if he was going to be kicked off his feet and thrown into the wall be her beauty. She was absolutely gorges. Her face had that tone beauty that looked as if she had gone to a doctor to get the million dollar face. But it was all natural. Her lips had a bit of a pout that almost made her look like she was bored, but when she smiled, like she did now, she had great white bright teeth and beautiful dimples that made Apollo almost melt right there on the floor.

"Hey Todd," the girl cheered happily. Then she looked over to Apollo, and still smiling, she pointed towards him and said, "Now who's this?"

Todd directed his attention over to Apollo.

"Apollo, this right here is Melinda," he state as he pointed towards the girl.

"Hello," she charmed at Apollo waving her fingers.

"And this right here," Todd stated as he pointed towards the piano man, "is Steve."

"What's up," Steve said looking up only once.

"Nothing much." Apollo stated.

"Guy's," Todd stated as he placed a hand on Apollo's shoulder. "As we all know, Stanley, our drummer, has disappeared. God bless his soul, wherever he is. Anyways, Apollo here has been a friend of mine for years, and an adequate musician. So, he's going to try out as drummer."

"Cool dude," Steven said from the back. "I hope you do well."

"Straight up," Apollo replied.

"Don't worry," Melinda stated. "You'll do just fine."

When Melinda told him this, it made Apollo suddenly become bashful. He just looked towards his feet, face redden with embarrassment, and stuttered out, "You're welcome."

Suddenly, Melinda saw it. At first, she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her, but after a few seconds later, it was undeniable what she saw. He eyes became widen with surprise. She could not believe what she was seeing. And after a few seconds of staring, she said it. "Oh my God. What's with your ears?"

Steven looked up to see what all of the commotion was about, and then went back to his keyboards. Then immediately, his head bounced back up again; unsure of what he saw earlier. Now, he fully saw what everyone else saw; pointed ears.

"Whoa," Steven said as he stared at Apollo's ears. "That's weird."

Apollo stared at the ground even more; ashamed and embarrassed of himself. Why was it, that when god was handing out physical appearances, did Apollo get stuck with some birth defect (as his mother told him) that made him look like a freak? Melinda and Steven rushed over by him, to get a closer look at his ears. This was something that they never seen before and they were fascinated by it.

"Those have to be fake," Steven commented.

"Nope," Apollo stated, looking up at Steven. "These are 100% real."

Melinda reached out her hand and touched his ear. Apollo had to make sure that he didn't lose his mind. But it almost seemed like an impossible task. Here he was, at age 15, with hormones raging inside him, and now a mind blowing attractive girl was touching his ears. He felt great.

Melinda, felt skin; And then she felt excited.

"Holy crap!" she yelled. "He's not kidding. They are real."

Steven placed out his hand, and touched Apollo's ear once. He felt it too. They were real. He couldn't believe it. He never met a kid that looked like an elf before. Then, he realized something.

"Dude," Steve stated. "It must suck having these. I mean, I've had bullies troubling me in the past, but you have these things. People must give you a lot of crap huh?"

"Well," Apollo began. "Yeah. The bullying part of it sucks a lot. But they are kind of cool. For one thing, it's like having spider senses."

Steven and Melinda were really confused. Apollo could tell by the looks on their faces. Apollo could also see, on Melinda's neck, a hicky. So now, Apollo knew he wouldn't have a chance with Melinda, she was taken. But something was strange about the hicky. It didn't seem, quote unquote 'manly.' It was undoubtedly a hicky, but it didn't look like it was left behind by a man. It just seemed, different.

"Spider senses?" Steve questioned.

"Yeah," Apollo began. "That's the cool thing. My ears twitch and tingle anytime there's danger around. So It's kind of like having spider senses."

"That's kick-ass." Melinda exclaimed. "Still sucks having people teasing you because of these."

"May be he needs some consulting." Todd stated with a devious smile. "Come on now, why don't you take my friend out on a date?"

Melinda seemed a bit appalled by this comment. "As if." She stated.

"Ouch," Steve said wincing. "Damn Melinda, that had to hurt."

And from the look of Apollo's defeated face, it did.

"It's nothing personal," She stated. "It's just, I'm a lesbian."

Suddenly, Apollo beamed. _So that explains the strange looking hicky._ He thought.

For a moment there, there was a strange silence that flooded the room. Apollo sat there and smiled as his mind brought forth crude images of Melinda and another girl, while the rest of the band sat there in complete silence. After a while, Todd decided to speak.

"Well," Todd began. "So, let's try out."

Apollo suddenly snapped out of his day dream, and remembered why he was here. He walked over to the drum set. It was a normal looking drum set. It was a _pearl _and it had 2 high toms and two floor toms. It also had a double foot pedal, and two crash cymbals; along with a black paint job. Apollo walked over to it slowly. He felt a little nervous, but he trusted in his abilities as a drummer. He walked behind the drum set, and sat down on the throne. Todd walked over and handed him two drumsticks. Apollo grabbed the drumsticks, slowly; taking in the scene in front of him. He was literally going to try out for a rock band.

"Alright," Todd stated. "First things first. You got 30's seconds to show us how good you are as a drummer. The clock begins as soon as you start."

Apollo suddenly felt a rush. He felt like his insides were trying to push up and out. It was a mixture between bravery, excitement, and nervousness. He felt like he was quick. He felt like he could rule the world with only his pinky finger. He felt great, and he knew that if he didn't release this energy soon, he was going to explode. And the only thing that he could take out his feelings on was the drums.

He started out with a soft rap beat; high hats hitting eight's, and snare drums hitting 2 and 4&. It was a pretty groovy beat, along with the improvised bass drum. And most of the band started bobbing their heads a little bit. After a while, Apollo decided to change the beat up, and then he added in a double foot pedal. The sound was amazing. Todd and the rest of the band was Awestruck. They had never heard a sound like this. It had the tempo of a rap song, but the double bass pedal added a whole new dimension. Apollo was really good, but he wasn't going to stop there. Suddenly, he started hitting the toms, and created sort of a swing beat setting. The toms had a great sound to it, resounding with an enormous _whump. _And Apollo was giving the audience in front of him a show. It was like he was a big band drum player back from the 1950's, but that still wasn't good enough for Apollo. He knew he had more to give, and by God, he was going to give it. Suddenly, his arms started filing the drums really fast. He was going crazy. It went from swing beat, to heavy metal, and he struck every signal drum, yet still somehow kept it in beat. He reminded everyone of Keith Moon. In fact, Steve thought he was so good, that Keith Moon would be put to shame if he saw this. Apollo was like a demon possessed octopus, with only one thing on his mind _destroy these drums. _

Eventually, it was becoming a bit too much for Todd.

"Dude," he stated. "_Dude, DUDE!" _

Apollo looked up, wondering if he went wrong somewhere.

"Enough is enough," Todd stated. "You got the part."

"Really!" Apollo beamed, excited. He couldn't believe that this was happening. He was now officially in a rock band. It felt like he was in a dream.

"Dude," Steve said, "I'm getting out of breath just watching you. That was amazing. Where did you learn to do that?"

Apollo started smiling; smug. He knew it was so wrong to be self indulgent, but honestly, he didn't care right now. He felt so great. And he really wanted to tell them _I'm just that good. _But the truth was, "I started off by taking piano lesson's when I was 8. But the teacher I had was a Nazi man. She would yell and scream and strike my fingers with a ruler when I messed up. I hated it. So one day, after I told mom I quit on the piano, I'm flipping through the channels on my TV, and I landed on a Primus Concert."

"Hell yeah," Todd stated. "Tim herb Alexander is a god among men."

"I know right?" Apollo stated giddy. "How does he do it? It's like magic. Anyways, he became sort of my idol, but then after that, I started paying attention to Les Claypool. I really dug how weird and serial he was. I mean he's a freak, and he is, without a doubt, the greatest bass player ever. Did you see his rendition of Master of Puppets? Holy hell!"

"I have no clue who the heck you guys are talking about." Steve said.

Apollo looked like he was about to choke Steven on the spot.

"What?" Apollo said amazed.

"I have no clue who Primus is."

Apollo placed his face down to his hands, and shook his head back and forth in disappointment. Todd told Steven about Primus.

"Do you ever watch South Park?" Todd stated.

"All the time," Steven replied.

"They came up with the theme song."

"No shit. That's so cool." Steven said surprised.

After they're talk, Steven and Todd looked back to Apollo, who currently looked like he was about to cry. Apollo was so disappointed that Steven, who was a great rocker, had no clue who Primus was. How could anybody not know who Primus was? What kind of rock has Steven been living under?

Todd knew that he had to snap Apollo out of his daze, and fast. A couple more seconds, and Apollo would burst into one of his famous music rants.

"Well," Melinda asked. "Continue."

Apollo looked up, surprised. He totally forgot what he was about to say next. And then, he remembered.

"Well," Apollo stated. "After getting into an obsession over Primus, I started obsessing over Rock and roll in general. But then after that, I started getting into all kinds of music; from Hip Hop, to Grunge, to hair metal, to acid rock, to progressive rock, I love it all. I love all kinds of music. I can go on for hours about this shit. But really, all you need to know about me and music is that my drumming influence comes from Neil Pert, Tim Alexander, and Joey Jordson; my guitar influences are David Gilmore, Eddie Van Halen, Frank Zappa, and Kirk Hammett. My favorite album is "Dark Side of the Moon"; my favorite song is "I am the Walrus," by The Beatles; and my top five favorite bands, in order, are Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Flaming Lips, and Lamb of God."

Everyone had a gap on their face. They stared at Apollo as if he were the messiah. It was like they had founded the lost treasure of a kingdom that was long forgotten. No matter which way you sliced it, Apollo just listed off basically every band that this group thought was Gods. _He's the one, _Todd thought to himself. _Why the hell did I go through the trouble of hiring Stan, when my best friend right here was clearly the right choice?_

After a while, the constant staring was beginning to get a little uncomfortable.

"What?" Apollo asked worried. "Is there something in my teeth?"

"Dude," Steven said. "I don't know you, and I'm hardly gay, but if I had to, I'd fucking marry you bro."

Apollo laughed. He knew that he had it made. It was for certain that he was in this band. Not turning back now. Whatever he did on the drums, and whatever he said earlier, must have impressed the band mates a lot, for he knew by the look of in their eyes, that he was the new drummer, and possibly, the permanent drummer for Todd's band.

Suddenly, Melinda looked confused.

"Wait?" she asked. "You said something about guitar influences?"

Apollo looked up at her. He was equally confused about this as well. He wondered why this mattered, and why she was asking this. And he was not mad about answering this question, it was just, he had no clue what she was implying by this. "Yeah," Apollo replied.

"You play guitar?" she asked.

Apollo leaned back and rested his head on his hands.

"I drabble," he replied. "Actually, I think I pretty good at it. In fact, I can really play anything. Guitar, Bass, Drums, Piano, Organ, Turntables; Hell, give me a week and I could probably learn the trumpet."

Melinda placed her hands on her hips. She hated smart asses.

"Oh really," she asked crude.

Apollo wasn't fazed by this. He felt pretty confident after mastering the drums.

"Yeah," he stated.

Melinda turned around, and looked towards the left wall. On it was a guitar stand. And hanging from the guitar stand, was a Les Paul 1970.

"See that guitar," she said fully aware that he did see the guitar. "I want you to grab that guitar, plug it into this amp," as she kicked the amp, "And play the first thing that I say."

Apollo laid his sticks out on the snare drum, and got out from behind the drum set. He walked over the guitar and placed the strap over his shoulder. It felt really good in his hands. He liked the weight and the texture. He walked over the amp, and took the cord, and plugged it into the Les Paul. He turned the amp on, and placed the setting on distortion. He looked up at Melinda, and he felt prepared for anything she was about to throw at him.

"Play the second Solo for Comfortably Numb" She stated.

Apollo took a step back; confused. _That. Pfft. That's easy, _Apollo thought to himself. He got a smart ass grin on his face. Then, he placed his fingers on the right frets, and when he plucked the first string, he immediately began moving to the music.

It only took seconds before Melinda's eyes grew wide in surprise. It sounded exactly like the original; possibly even better. Steven and Todd gathered around Apollo, amazed at his abilities. A crowd gathered around the child; attracted to the music he was playing. And when he was finished, they immediately clapped and cheered him on.

"That was Awesome!" Melinda stated.

"Thank you," Apollo replied.

"Can you Play 'Time'?" Steven asked.

Apollo immediately played the first 4 measures of the solo from Time. Steven stood back amazed, when he was finished, another request came up.

"Play 'I'm the Slime' by Frank Zappa." Todd stated.

Apollo played that with unique perfection.

"Play Working Man by Rush."

Apollo played that.

"Play Duality by Slipknot."

Apollo played that as well.

"Play Hot for Teacher by Van Halen."

And again, Apollo took that request, and played it with stunning ability.

That's how Apollo spent the spare time before school started; taking request on not only the guitar, but also on the drums, the piano, the bass; he did it all. He even got to jam along with the band and sing as well.

One thing was for certain, he was officially in this band. And Apollo thought to himself, _this is the greatest day of my life. _And he knew, that somehow, some way, today was the day his life would change forever, because of this.

He was wrong about one thing. The band wasn't the reason that his life would change. The culprit for the drastic change in Apollo's life would belong to a certain Irish individual by the name of Artemis Fowl.

* * *

**Did I just add a lesbian to the story?**

**Did I just bring back Julius Root from the dead? **

**Did I just make Fowl's son a bit of a potty mouth snot nosed teenager. **

**And Did I just add so many music references that it will make the author Captain Holly short of the LEP's head spin? **

**Yes, I believe I did. I based Apollo off of myself. Something's are exaggerated. (I can't play the piano to save my life,) but there are bits and pieces of it that are accurate. (Not a lot, but some things. Like his personality, and his love for music.)**

**I love music. Music is indeed my life. My goal is to get a career in music, but my dream, is to become a solo artist with a concept album on school life.**

**I like writing stories. I can do whatever I want with my characters. Well, almost everything. For starters, I'd feel like I'd be cheating if I just treated my characters in any manner I wish. Plus, you guys must come first. So tell me, what do you think of the story, and are there idea's to improve? If you have some of these or if you just want to comment PLEASE REVIEW. **

**25 reviews=me begging new chapter. **

**I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. And man, this was a long one. I had one guy who stated in the reviews that long chapters were the best, and if that's the case, I just typed a Pulitzer Prize winning chapter. LoL!**

**Anyways, the next update will be awhile. I got seven softball games in one week. I know, It's f-ing insane. Not only that, but basketball practice is starting, the drumlin which I'm in is about to play in a contest. Oh My God. This month is going to throw me around like a rag doll. Don't worry, I promise that if you get me those reviews, I'll work on the next chapter, immediately. Getting it posted, that's another story. **

**Thank you. I hope that you all have a wonderful day. **

**oh, and all rights to the music referenced in this chapter belong to the aritist themselves, and Artemis Fowl is owned by Disney Hyperion, and Eoin Colfer.**

**Peace.**


	3. I hate school

**Hey everybody. I'm back. Sorry for the wait. Softball is now officially over, and I am now working on Jr. High Basketball. I hope there is still time to type in between. I'm also working on other fan fics, such as **_**dairy of a thieve, **_**but I am currently more invested in this project, for it looks like it's going to be huge, and I feel that this is some of my best work. **

**And for any of you Pink Floyd fans out there; guess what I'm doing on Halloween night….**

**I'M SEEING ROGER WATERS LIVE PREFORMING THE WALL!**

**Greatest birthday present ever.**

**And for those of you who don't know who Roger Waters is, (First of all, what rock have you been living under?) Roger is the bassist and main Lyricist of Pink Floyd during their most popular years. While all band members contributed to **_**Dark side of The Moon, **_**Roger really wrote **_**The Wall, **_**all by himself. Could you imagine how creative and how much of a genius you have to be to come up with and album like **_**The Wall **_**all by yourself. **

**Roger is going around and he's re-doing the whole tour of **_**The Wall **_**that he and the rest of Pink Floyd did back in the 80's. The production for the show cost so much they could only do it in 7 states. So, now that Roger has some money, he's going around redoing the whole tour, and he's stopping by all the states.**

**Now that I've gotten that all out of the way, I believe that I have a story on my hands to type. I'm also adding "music starters," for those people who want to hear the song that I post while they read. Whenever you see this (*) over a word, that means to start playing the song. **

**So, without further ado, this is it.**

**Disclaimer: All characters used belong to Author Eion Colfer and Disney Hyperion. All artist and songs that are reffered belong to the artist and record companies who own them and I am in no way making money off of listing these songs and/or artist.**

**Song: Undone (the sweater song) by Weezer.**

"_Welcome to the home of the class clown; the theater of suppressed laughter. When you were in school didn't you notice that simply because you weren't allowed to laugh it made the laughing that much better? That there was something about trying to hold it in that made you laugh even harder. And wasn't just in school, church was the same way, in fact church was even better cause there was the bonus that God might actually strike you with lightning. Well, catholic schools combine the two things; religion and the classroom; an extra challenge for the resourceful class clown. Now class clowns probably had a reason for doing what they did, but in my part, I always enjoyed getting laughs because usually the person who laughed was the one that got in trouble. I could whip a quick face on Roger, *turns* HEY ROGER *makes silly face then turns back* and suddenly Roger would be leaving the classroom; accused of having no self control."_

_George Carlin. _

As it has been stated before, and will be stated time and time again, Apollo loved music. He LOVED music. He found that it was quite ironic that he loved music so much, and that he was named after the Greek God of music.

Actually, the Greek god; Apollo, was the god of light and the sun; truth and prophecy; medicine, healing, and plague, along with music and the arts.

But as for Apollo; the teenager, he was more invested in the music and the arts information about the Greek god. And he had a passion for music that he didn't understand why he did. Maybe it was in his blood. Or maybe it was destiny. But how he came to love music was something completely different. He knew how he became so passionate for music, the why portion of it, he had no clue. But the hows of the equation, he could tell you from the very begging.

He first fell in love with classical music. His mother would play it over the stereo systems when he was a small child. Sometimes she danced to the music; dragging Apollo along to dance with her. She was playing the mom role of teaching her child how to dance. She would laugh and play along with Apollo while they dance to Beethoven.

Other times, Minerva got _really _drunk, (for reasons, to this day, are unknown) and would be slump on the couch, passed out, while Beethoven or Mozart was playing at mind numbing volume. Apollo would come in, to find his mom passed out on the couch, and two questions would float across his mind. "Why is mommy asleep," he would wonder, and "what is this beautiful music that is playing?"

As he got older, he found out why his mom was asleep, and who the people were that was playing the music. He instantly fell in love with classical music. He was really obsessed with the main artists, such as Sebastian Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Salieri, and Pachelbel. His mother was really interested and happy that Apollo liked this kind of music; unlike most kids his age that fallen in-love with hip-hop. She was really interested on how well he could play music at such a young age, and by ear alone. At age 6, he could play Beethoven's 9th symphony, 4th movement, all the way through on the piano by just ear. Knowing that Apollo could do very well with guidance, she set him up with a piano instructor to give him lessons.

Hands down, in Apollo's opinion, this was the worst decision his mother made in her life.

The instructor, Miss Applebee, was a Nazi. She was very precise and cold. If one note was missed, it was punishment. Whether it was physical, (a slap to the wrist by ruler,) or mental, ("No, no, no, that was horrible!) Miss Applebee would shut down Apollo's self esteem and lowered his hopes for years to come.

After two months with this instructor, Apollo had enough. He ran home to Minerva after his lessons, and cried on her lap, yelling, "Please, don't make me go back. She scares me."

His lessons were immediately over.

He spent the next two years of his life (ages 7-8) wondering what to do with his talent. He knew that he had an undeniable lust for music. That much was certain. And he knew that he had the talent and the capability to make something of himself with his music. He knew that. The question was what music should he invest himself into? He knew that classical music was now out of the picture. He knew that it was too precise and cold and full of politics for him to enjoy. He wanted a genre of music, where he was free. He wanted to play music that he could express himself with, and have no worries about missing a note or measure. Yet he also wanted a genre where he could write great music and make it sound as if it came from the gods.

And that's when it happened.

The TV can be a useful tool. You never know what might happen. One minute, you're a very confused 8 year old boy trying to find music that expresses your feelings. And the next minute, you create a path to your musical destiny. That's what happened to Apollo.

He was setting in his room, flipping through the channels, when suddenly, the remote quit. He clicked the buttons a few times, before he opened the back and realized that the batteries ran out of juice. He noticed that the channel that he landed on was MTV. He didn't really care much for it. He was too young to understand. He got up to get batteries so he could go back to his cartoons. But after he got the batteries, when he walked back into his room, he was stunned.

A concert was playing on his TV; a rock concert. But this band was not your average 'run of the mill' _Nickelback _or _Shinedown _knock off. This was something completely different. There was bass, and lots of it. It slapped with a ferocious sound and it sound more like a guitar than a bass. It was a strange sound; an amazing sound and Apollo was immediately entranced. The singer had a strange voice. He knew that he was singing off key, but for some reason, it felt like the singer intended for it to be that way. The drummer was insane. He wasn't focused on toms like most drummers were; he was focused on the hi-hat. And his sticks would fly across the hi-hat so fast that it sound more like a maraca; a metallic maraca. The guitarist did high pitch harmonies, and screeched an out of tune (yet strangely in tune,) off beat solo. He was amazed by this sound, and by this type of music, and he knew that he wanted to be the bass player or drummer. "Who were these people?" he wondered while he watched the TV, "and who is this amazing band?"

He found out on the internet, that he had watched the band _Primus _play live at spring break, and that the song they were playing, was "Jerry was a racecar driver."

He became obsessed. Anything that had the _Primus _name attached to it was his. Hats, T-shirts, billboards, stickers, CD's, DVD's, and anything else that was associated with _Primus _was immediately his. He studied the band and their sound. When he found out that the drums and the bass became the driving force behind this band, he studied that shit until it was etched into the walls of his brain. At age 10, he discovered the song "Frizzle Fry," and two months later, he could play that song all the way through on bass and drums.

He was fascinated by Les Claypool; the leader of Primus. He found his attitude very amusing. He was a strange man, with a strange voice. And the mental imagery that Les created with his lyrics was enough to even make David Lynch go "Dude, that's messed up." Les was very charismatic, and he was a _weird-o._ And that's what Apollo loved. Every day, people said he was a _weird-o_ and here was another _weird-o_ who made something of himself through his strangeness, and his social awkwardness.

But Apollo wanted more. He knew that there had to be more rock bands better than _Primus._

He read books on rock, he studied the music, and each bit of newspaper article, magazine article, TV program, and studies on rock, talked about in depth about a band from Liverpool, called _The Beatles._

Apollo decided since everyone talked greatly about these "Beatles" that it was probably good for him to buy some of their music. He went out to a store, and bought their greatest hits collection, _1._

Although he would never do drugs, Apollo would compare this experience with that of someone's first bump of heroine.

He was hooked. It was amazing! It was nothing like _Primus _but he could tell how _The Beatles _influenced them. In-fact, Apollo could tell that every artist, from ever genre, was influenced by this band. He loved their music. He couldn't get enough. He bought everything _Beatles _related. From coffee mugs, to shaggy rugs, to painted walls, he got it all. It was like crack. He was addicted. And he studied it. At age 11, he could play the entire "White album" (his favorite album by _The Beatles_, by the way) on all instruments. He could do the wailing guitar solos of "Helter Skelter," and the piano melodies and bass riffs of "Back in the USSR," and he could play a masterful version of "Dear Prudence" on the acoustic guitar. (And he always remembered to scream into the microphone, after 'Helter Skelter' "I've got blisters on me fingers!")

He thought, (and still thinks,) that the Beatles were the greatest band in the entire world.

But, there was one band; One band to top them all, and open Apollo's eyes and ears to a whole new world.

It started off as a conversation with Todd, "what albums have you listened to lately," and ended with Apollo finding the album and band that defined him, that embodied his soul, and that influences his character for years to come.

That album was _Dark side of The Moon, _by _Pink Floyd._

Holy shit! Apollo was like a rabid dog in heat. He loved that album. He loved that band. He loved _Pink Floyd_. And it was official, and still, to this day, _Pink Floyd_ is Apollo's favorite band; hands down. Not other band top The Floyd for Apollo. Even if you played his the newest album from _Radiohead _(a band which he really loves by the way) he'd probably say, "It's very good, but it can never top _Pink Floyd."_

He loved _Dark side of The Moon. _He loved its artistic statement and vision. He loved David Gilmore's strange _bluesy_ yet electronic guitar sound on the album. He loved Richard Wright's piano chords, and how precise he was on the instrument, yet how it seemed free flowing. He loved Nick Mason's hard rock drumming, and how the sound reminded him of Jazz music, more than rock music. And he Loved Roger Water's lyrics, and how they were poetry.

He loved how the album had this message. He loved how "Breathe" was about a parent telling his child the facts of life, and about telling someone, "Life is not about all work and no play, and vice versa, but about finding that perfect balance between work and play that fits you, and not to push yourself and mold yourself into something you're not. Remember, _balance on the biggest wave, a race towards an early grave." _

He loved how "On the run," was about travel, or more importantly, the fear of travel.

He loved how "Time," was about the fear of Time; either you have too much time on your hands, or not enough time in the world to get things done.

He loved how "The Great Gig in the sky," was about the fear of dying, and the emotions we feel when a love one passes on.

He loved how "Money," was, of course, about Money; but also about the ambition of greed, and the fear of success. (He found it kind of Ironic, that the song about the fear of success, was also the same song that launched Pink Floyd into the major band they are today.)

He loved how. "Us and them" was the about the fear of conflict, and about what is evil, and what is good. "After all, _black and blue, and who knows which is which and who is who." _

He loved how "Any color you like," was about drugs.

And he loved how "Brain damage," was about insanity, and how society changes its views on what can be considered insane or perfectly sane.

He loved how the album basically says, "All of these things, war, money, time, if used proper, can lift someone up. However, the dark side of these things is that it can also bring you down to insanity. And basically, in the end, no matter what happens, all that you touch, all that you see, all that you taste, all you feel, all that you love, all that you hate, all you distrust, all you save, & all that you give, all that you deal, all that you buy, beg, borrow, or steal, all you create, destroy, do, say, all that you eat, and everyone you meet, makes you who you are; whether your life is in the past, or there is more to come. And how all of these things are good, but remember, _the sun is eclipsed by the moon."_

As you can see, he was a music freak. But as he grew older, he began to like more music. He went from liking only _The Beatles, Pink Floyd, _and_ Primus. _To liking _The Beatles, Primus, Pink Floyd, David Bowe, Bob Marley, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tom Petty, R.E.M., Beck, Lamb of God, Radiohead, Rage against the Machine, AC/DC, Aerosmith, The Flaming Lips, The Sex Pistols, The Ramones, Stevie Wonder, Michal Jackson, Stevie Ray Vaughn, _and the list goes on and on.

He _**LOVES**_ music.

In-fact, he loves music so much, he describes each day by a song title.

He'd describe his emotions through a song title, and even the melody of a song described how his day went. When he got home from school, Minerva would ask, "How's your day been?" and he'd reply with a song title. The conversations never got confusing between his mom and him, but it still was strange. Basically, the conversations went like this.

Minerva: How was school today?

Apollo: White Rabbit.

Minerva: what does that mean?

Apollo: it means it started off slow, but it was still rhythmical. After a while however, things got really intense and exciting and it lead to a climactic ending.

Minerva: so what happened to make the end of the day so amazing?

Apollo: Trevor got slapped in the face by his ex girlfriend and she called him out about how he was a liar and a cheater in-front of his new girlfriend. And then his ex and his new girlfriend got in a cat fight in the school halls and started ripping their shirts off. I swear to God, I need to bring my camera to school more often.

And that's how conversations went in the Paradizo house hold between Apollo and Minerva. And Apollo's mood changed. Some days the song was "Yer Blues," by _The Beatles. _And other days, the song was "Good day sunshine," by_ The Beatles. _

And today for some reason, the song was "Undone (the sweater song) by Weezer.

He didn't know why he felt so depressed. He passed an audition for a real rock band. He should've been happy. But for some reason, as soon as Apollo walked through those doors, he could hear the symphonic and dishearten _whap* _from the snare drum in his head, along with the low and melodic _whumps _from the floor toms, along with Brian Bells four step on the strange chords. The thick fog of depression and humor surrounded Apollo, as he limped his way through the school day. Apollo didn't know why he felt so depressed. Maybe it was because it was still public school. After all, Kids hate school. Or Maybe it was because Apollo usually felt like this with no sleep.

Either way, whatever the case, this feeling of fog caused Apollo to be unaware of his surroundings. And this feeling, would ultimately, change his life, for the better.

* * *

He opened his locker, and placed in some of his stuff. His bag was almost a satchel, and it was green, and topped with a medic symbol on the side. His locker was a small locker, but he had two of them; one on top of the other. His top locker kept most of his school supplies and text books, while his bottom locker contained gym clothes and sometimes extra food. (He was a teenager, and all teenagers are basically food craving machines.) The thing that both of his lockers had in common, was each one was decked out in rock and roll paraphernalia. The top locker was dedicated to both Pink Floyd and The Flaming Lips; while the bottom locker was a tribute to The Beatles. Sometimes, he'd stare at these posters and pictures for minutes.

And while he was staring in his locker, he was staring at it for a completely different reason.

"Where's my Language Book?" he asked himself.

He knew that he put it in there yesterday. He remembered placing it in there. He started searching around his locker, as if he believed his locker had a secret compartment. Why would his book be gone? It wasn't as if Books could grow legs and suddenly walk away.

And that's when he heard it. It was a voice that belonged to a certain individual. This certain individual had a horrible reputation of being an asshole; an even bigger asshole than Apollo himself. This man screwed with people on a daily bases, but he especially loved to fuck with Apollo. And he had that certain voice that was gruff and annoying, and it haunted Apollo in his nightmares.

"Hey Faggot!" Braden screamed.

Apollo groaned and slammed his locker door shut. He hated Braden. Though most people called him 'Bud,' Braden was more known for being the school bully than by his nick name. He screwed with everybody; Teachers, principles, seniors, but most importantly, Apollo. Bud gave Apollo shit as long back as Apollo could remember. This man called him all kinds of stuff, from a fairy to a cock sucking homo. And Apollo wasn't even gay, and Bud knew that, but that still didn't stop him. He called anybody what he wanted whenever he wanted. He called people the 'N' word even if they weren't even of African ethnicity. He called people Irish drunks even if they weren't Irish. He was a horrible, horrible person. He had the rudest and vilest mouth that should have belonged to the most wretched of demons. Apollo hated this man, and while he was under the belief of Christianity (or thought he was), and in the book of The Bible, (somewhere around _James,_ Apollo didn't know for sure,) it stated that if you hated a man, you've committed murder in your heart.

That still, however, didn't stop Apollo from whishing he'd have a Glock with him, and pulling the trigger against Braden's skull until the gun went click.

Apollo turned his head towards Braden; very annoyed.

"How you doing you big old turd farmer." Bud shouted at Apollo.

_This would be the moment where I would grab an AK-47 and point it at his testicles and destroy his sack into smithereens. _Apollo thought. _If only schools could allow guns on campus. _

"I don't even farm!" Apollo whined. "And what the hell do you want?"

"Oh nothing" Bud sarcastically stated. "Just wonder if this belonged to you."

He pulled out from behind his back, a textbook. Apollo immediately recognized that this was his Language book.

"Hey, that's mine." He stated out loud. "Give it back."

"Oh, this?" Bud stated sarcastically as he held the book up in the air and pointed.

Apollo sighed.

"I swear to God Bud," Apollo whined. "If you don't give me back that book this instant, I'm going to kick your ass."

Bud smirked, smug.

"Try me," he stated like the smart ass he was.

_Well, he said try me. _Apollo thought to himself.

Apollo immediately rushed over, and tried to grab his book. Bud held the book so hard and it felt like Apollo was trying to split a rock apart. Apollo used one hand, and smacked Bud upside the head. Bud pulled back on the book, jerking Apollo forward. Bud's eyes glared with anger, and Apollo suddenly regretted his decision to smack Bud. Immediately, Bud took his knee, grabbed Apollo's neck, and thrusted his knee into Apollo's stomach. The pointy ear teenager immediately felt loss of air, and scrambled backwards; slamming his head into and open locker door. Bud pointed and laughed at Apollo's misery. The red head teenager was pissed. His face was red at anger, and his anger was directed towards one individual; Bud.

Apollo then began to do something he only did in rare circumstances. He got in fighting stance.

When Apollo was seven, he wanted to be a ninja. It was a little fantasy that he had in his head as a child. His mom thought that a little physical activity wouldn't hurt the child, and Minerva took Apollo to Tae Kwon Do classes. This lasted for about 3 years, because at age 9 Apollo wanted to become a musician, and quit his fight classes.

However, Apollo still remembered some things from his classes' years ago; such as getting into fighting stance.

The teenager leaned back into fighting stance. His fist went up to protect his face, and he positioned his feet so it would form an 'L' with his heels. His right leg leaned back so it had more weight on it. And to top it off, Apollo opened one fist, releasing his fingers, and bended them towards himself, to symbolize, 'come on, take your best shot.'

Bud felt like he was going to pass out. This was too hilarious.

"Dude," he shouted. "What the fuck are you, a samurai?"

"No," Apollo grunted. "I'm a ninja." To prove his point, the pointy ear teenager, did one front kick, two punches, and one right leg round house kick in the air.

Braden popped his knuckles. This was going to be two easy. Apollo was already dumb as shit to him, and his kicks and punches earlier looked slower than hell. Bud was going to have a lot of fun by punching him in the nose, and watching the blood gushed out, and hearing the bone crack. It was how he got his sadistic pleasure as a bully. This was going to be too good.

So Bud took one step forward, with his fist back in the air; ready to punch…

Then he went round-eyed, and stared in fear.

And at first, Apollo thought that his moves were succeeding. He thought that his Tae Kwon Do moves were intimidating Bud. "That's right huh?" Apollo stated spunky. "I'm not seven anymore aren't I? Come on. Look at this." Apollo then proceeded to throw very lame and awkward, but fast punches only inches away from Braden's face. Afterwards, he shuffled his feet as he punched past Braden's head. "Look at me. I'm the next Ali; I float like a butterfly and sting like a bee!"

If Apollo would have taken at least two seconds to look behind him, he would have saw the tall man standing behind him that was striking fear into Braden's heart. The man was tall, but he wasn't over the 6ft 5inc mark. It was the man's posture that really made him look so tall. His back stood so straight and his shoulders were never slump. On top of that, the man wore a tailored suit. It was almost a personal suit. He had on all black; Black tie, Black over jacket, black pants, and black shoes and socks. The only thing that wasn't black was his white button up shirt under the black jacket.

So this man, to Bud, was either a parent, a member of the MIB, or a teacher. And Bud wasn't afraid of a teacher. In normal circumstances, he would have told the teacher to "fuck off," and then proceed to beat the shit out of Apollo, who was currently making a fool of himself by trying to do jump kicks.

But this wasn't under normal circumstances. For this man had one thing, and one thing only, that made Bud jump out of his skin; skin was the key word. This man standing behind Apollo was so pale. I mean, really pale. It was the type of pale that could only be achieved through death or sickness. And when Bud added up the math, it scared the shit out of him.

What is tall, much postured man + Tailored black suit + very pale skin = to you? Well, if you were an adequate horror film fan like Bud, the answer to that equation was; VAMPIRE!

Bud thought that vampires didn't exist, until now. So Bud decided to run as fast as he could before the man behind Apollo unleashed his fangs and sucked his blood. He dropped the text book as he ran in a frantic flee. But even as he ran away, he still had to spew one last insult.

"Fuck you homo!" he shouted before he ran away.

Apollo, while generally offended by the comment, didn't ever lose his enthusiasm with his fighting skill and proceed to screech like a ninja while getting back into fighting stance.

"Yeah, that's right!" Apollo shouted. "You don't ever mess with a mother fuckin ninja!" And he proceeded to unleash some more moves, two punches in the front, and one punch behind him; and since the feeling of fog was making him unaware of his surroundings, he punched the tailored man's stomach.

The man immediately bent over after the punch, clutching his stomach, and groaning in pain.

Apollo immediately went frigid with fear. He thought that he accidently punched a teacher. His hand went over his mouth in shock, and he tried to apologize. But, the panic in his system caused him to speak so fast that the words might as well just have been whispered. At least that would have been understood a lot better.

"O my god sir, I am _so _sorry." Apollo replied as fear swept through his system. "I didn't mean to punch you. Oh God, please don't send me to the office, I'll get in so much trouble. It was an accident I swear! I had no clue you were behind me! Oh Please Sir! I'm so sorry!"

"Relax," The man told the pointed ear kid as he got up from the floor. "I'm perfectly fine. You caused no damage to me or harm. You barley even tarnished my suit. It's just a physical strike to the lower intestine. I'm not hurt in any way, shape, or form. And I completely understand that was an accident. I won't report this incident to any disciplinarian."

Apollo felt relief wash over him and he breathed in deeply. "Thank you Sir." He stated as he finally started to calm down.

There was a strange silence that fell among them. As Apollo picked his book off the floor; which Bud left in his haste to get away from the apparent vampire, Apollo noticed that the man seemed off. It wasn't that he was weird, or unusual, but Apollo had the strange sense that he knew this man.

"You know," Apollo stated as he rubbed his chin, "You seem oddly familiar. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I know you from somewhere."

"Call it Déjà Vu," the man stated as he looked away. "I think I know you from somewhere as well."

"Huh," Apollo stated as he studied the man's body language. The tailored suit individual seemed vaguely disappointed, with a side of guilt. It seemed like he was sadden. Apollo guessed, that this man possibly did know him, and that his guilt was manifested because he told this lie about him not knowing Apollo.

Either that or this man had Taco Bell for breakfast.

Apollo decided it was best not to make these judgments, and placed his hand out to shake. After all, it seemed that after accidently punching this man in the stomach, it seemed best to imply good manner, with a good old fashion greeting.

"Apollo," the pointed ear teenager stated as he held out his hand. "Apollo Paradizo."

The man took Apollo's hand and shook it.

"Artemis," the man replied. "Artemis Fowl the 2nd."

Apollo cocked a brow.

"What kind of a name is 'Artemis,'?"

The Artemis character smirked.

"What kind of a name is 'Apollo'?" he replied smirking. "Someone had to have given it to you."

Apollo smirked back. "Good point." And with that he released his hand. He had no clue who this Artemis Fowl character was, but he was about to find out. He had a feeling that he was taking a liking to this man.

"So," he said as he rubbed the back of his neck, trying to find the right words to state his question politely. "What do you do? It's obvious that you're not a teacher, so I'm just wondering who you are."

"I'm an advisor from the New York Department of Education." This 'Fowl' character replied. "I basically go to schools to see if they are up to date."

To the normal man, it would seem that this Artemis character was telling to truth. But Apollo had the strange but natural ability to read body language, and he could tell by his eyes that this man was possibly lying. But why should Apollo question this man. After all, he seemed vaguely nice. He let him off the hook after the punch. So Apollo thought nothing of it, and basically shrugged it off. That's when the bell rang.

"Well," Apollo stated as he opened his locker. "I got to get to class."

"Where you heading too?" the man stated.

"History class," Apollo said.

"What a coincident." This Artemis guy stated surprised. "That's on my schedule as well. I attended history first hour as well."

"Well okay." Apollo stated as he grabbed his world history 101 text book from his locker. "Here I'll show you to the class. But I have to warn you, I don't like history dating back from the 1800's; I only like modern history."

The Fowl man seemed interested by this statement.

"Really?" this man asked Apollo. "Why is this so?"

"I think that modern history has verification from other sources, but I believe that most history from the B.C.'s and anything before the 20th century was written by only the victors. You never really get to hear the Assyrians point of view when they captured Jews and took over Israel now do you?"

The 'Artemis' man seemed stunned.

"You seem to know a lot about your history."

"Give me three weeks and I'll forget it," he replied. "I'm a normal teenager after all; with a short attention span and video games to clog my brain."

"So," the man asked, "You don't do well in school?"

"No," Apollo replied. "In fact I got the gold honor role last year. I only get A's in my class. Maybe except for math."

"I believe that Math must be your weakness." The Artemis man said monotone.

"Nope," Apollo said. "I have a natural ability to understand it very well. I just don't think math or numbers should run your life. You can never predict what life throws at you. I'm a firm believer in the 'chaos theory.'

Although Apollo didn't see it, Artemis Fowl was smug with Joy. _He's so much like me after all. _He thought.

* * *

Apollo was enjoying Fowl's company, he really was. For some odd reason, and Apollo couldn't quiet put his finger on it, he knew this man from somewhere, and Apollo was taking a natural liking to him. He did make a great scene in science class after all; arguing with the teacher that the theory of evolution was "like Swiss cheese; full of holes." And that argument alone caused the class to get out of a major test today, which Apollo thank Fowl so much for. So of course, Apollo liked this man.

But, for some odd reason, Apollo thought that this Artemis character was stalking him.

Every class he went to, whether it was in the foreground, (like in science) or in the back ground, (math) this 'Artemis' fellow had followed him for 6 consecutive hours. And when Apollo would ask this man why he was following him, he'd reply, "I assure you I'm not following you. My schedule is just so coincidental with yours." '

The man looked like he was telling the truth.

But Apollo could tell it in his eyes that he wasn't. Something was up, and Apollo knew it. And honestly, it was getting on his nerves a bit.

So during 7th hour, when Apollo noticed that Artemis was in the gymnasium, during Apollo's gym hour, he decided to talk to Fowl a third time.

"Okay," Apollo said, somewhat pissed off. "Seriously, tell me the truth. Why are you stalking me?"

"I'm not stalking you." The 'Fowl' man stated. "My schedule says that I have to study the gym this hour, and it just so happens to be a coincident that you have gym as well."

Before Apollo got to unleash all of his frustration out on this man, a high pitched, metallic, screaming noise was hear. Apollo immediately recognized this as the coach blowing his whistle. This told the students to drop what they were doing in the gym, and report to him for their assignment this hour.

Of course, Apollo knew that this wouldn't happen. His gym class consisted of the 9th grade (his grade,) along with the Jr. High. The whole gym class was a bunch of 'want to be rebels' that never listened to the coach, and would continue to play with the basketballs for at least 10 more minutes, before finally complying. Sometimes, they'd go longer and this would cause their gym teach to get pissed off and start making them do laps.

What annoyed Apollo was he noticed while they would be running for not following the teacher's orders, he'd hear some of the kids saying to themselves, "Our coach is a douchebag. Why is he making us run?"

Apollo just wanted to slap the snot out of these individual students who said this, and scream at them, "Are you kidding! He said, 'put up the basketballs' and you didn't. What did you think was going to happen; he'd by you fucking flowers?"

And what pissed him off the most, was no matter how many times the whole class was punished, and no matter how many times the coach told them to run, the class still kept that 'want to be rebel' attitude, and would do the same thing every day.

Luckily, today the class immediately complied (noticing an advisor (Fowl) in the gymnasium) and ran to place the basketballs into the racks. Afterwards, the entire class got in a circle around the coach, to hear their next assignment.

And as soon as they got in the huddle, Apollo notice Artemis standing right next to him.

Before Apollo could tell off, the teacher began to speak.

"Alright students" Their coach; Mr. Hazzleworth stated. "As you all know, it's Friday, and I believe that you've all worked very hard. You asked for it last week, and I know that you want it a lot."

Apollo's face immediately paled, and he realized too what Hazzleworth was talking about. _Oh no! _Apollo thought in his head; panicking. _Oh God! No, no. Please!_

"So," Hazzleworth continued. "Since its Friday, I decided that I'll let you play two rounds of dodge ball."

Immediately, half of the kids in the room starting jumping up and down; shouting in victory, and giving each other high fives. Everyone did this, except for Apollo, who looked like he was going to weep, as he placed his face into his hands.

"Fuck," he mumbled in defeat.

"What's wrong?" Artemis asked Apollo.

Apollo looked up at this man, who had the strange look of concern on his face. Apollo then realized he was curious. It seemed that everyone else was happy that the kids were going to play dodge ball today, so why wasn't Apollo happy as well? Apollo then decided to talk to this 'Fowl' man one more time, and state his reason for his hopelessness and depression.

"You have to understand something about my gym class," Apollo began. "They are pain junkies. They get sadistic pleasure from pain and giving pain to others. Some of these kids, if not most of these kids, are bullies that have nothing better to do but to hurt other people. I swear to god, I think that at least maybe two people from this class are going to become axe murders in the future. That's how bad their addiction to giving and receiving pain is."

"How does this affect you?" Artemis asked.

"Put yourself in their shoes for a moment," Apollo told the tailored suit man. "You're a bully who takes crap from teachers and is sent to the office on a daily basis, and all you want to do is place all of your pain on another during dodge ball."

As Apollo stated this, he noticed that the red, rubber, small, and hard balls were the ones that the class was going to use today. These balls had a rough rubber texture to them that caused a horrible sting to the target when it was thrown at them. _Red balls, of course! _Apollo stated mad. _It's just my dumb luck. _

"But you can't just throw at anybody," Apollo continued. "They're going to throw back at you, of course. So you have to find the one kid of the group that even though he has some athletic skills, he can't play dodge ball to save his life. You have to find the weakling out of the group."

"And I assume that this 'weakling' is you?" The 'Artemis' figure asked.

"Correct." Apollo replied. "So basically, the activity is no longer dodge ball. The activity has turned into, 'beat the shit out of Apollo with a dodge ball; the home game."

Apollo thought that he could see the 'Fowl' character smirking. While he questioned what he saw, he heard the coach place kids into teams. Apollo immediately turned his attentions to the coach.

"All right," Mr. Hazzleworth said. "Apollo, Tucker, Todd, Jason, and Tommy; you'll be one team."

"Of course," Apollo whispered to himself, "I get some of the worst players."

He turned his attention back to Fowl, who currently had his eyebrow cocked in confusion. "I don't seem to understand." Fowl asked Apollo. "You're team, at first appearance, doesn't look like it has some of the worst players. So why do you state such a thing, if it doesn't look physically so?"

Apollo sighed. "All right," Apollo granted. "I'll admit Todd and Tucker are not all that bad. Todd is my best friend who just let me into his rock band as the drummer, and he use to play softball as the short stop, so he can catch real well. Tucker pitched in softball, so he has a nasty fast ball." Then Apollo sighed as he pointed to the other two teammates. "Jason, however, is a lazy-ass piece of crap. He'll probably end up falling asleep on the floor this hour; as he usually does. And well, Tommy….."

Apollo pointed at Tommy, who was currently spinning in circle; spinning around in a circle, and making the noise of an airplane.

"I see your point." This 'Fowl' character stated.

"All right, kids!" the coach shouted. "To your sides."

Apollo sighed as he got on to his end of the court. He knew that it was going to be a long day of dodge ball; he could tell. But the question know was, would he be able to survive this game and not get hurt once? Apollo looked around. The other team that he would be facing against was filled with big muscular kids, who looked like they were doing steroids, and they were currently showing off their muscles, in exclamatory fashion. Their muscles were huge, so Apollo knew that he would be screwed if he got hit even once. He trusted in his abilities to dodge. Now, all that was left was if he trusted in the ability of his team.

He glanced back at Tommy, who was currently doing his impression of an otter.

_Yep, it's official. _Apollo thought. _I am going to fucking die. _

He sighed in defeat as he crossed the court to his side. Then, just then, he heard something.

"Hey," Artemis sated from the other side to Apollo. "Good luck."

Apollo immediately stopped in his tracks. He was confused. It didn't make any sense.

"Why are you wishing me luck?" Apollo asked the man. "You barley even know me."

That's when Apollo caught it. This 'Artemis,' man winced. It was as if Apollo's word hurt the man emotionally. He wasn't sure why. But he did know that whatever Fowl said, was something he was trying not to say, and whatever Apollo just stated now, it struck an emotional chord deep in the tailored suit man's heart.

"I don't know." Artemis replied after wincing. "I just hope you do well. I'll be watching the game though. So I hope there are no worries between us."

Apollo was fascinated by how this man reacted. He had that tone in his voice that was filled with anguish, and he could tell by his movements that this man was hiding something. Apollo was now really interested in who this man was. He wanted to know what secrete he was hiding.

But Apollo decided not to think about this, since he had a lot of other things on his mind; such as, _whatever you do, don't screw up today in dodge ball. _

As soon as the kids got to their sides, Coach Hazzleworth gave the kids the balls separately, and fairly. Then he got on his line, and brought the whistle up to his mouth. "Are you ready?"

Apollo took one step forward, and Immediately, Apollo felt two hands grab his harms, and tuck them behind his back. Apollo was now being held against his will. As a hostage you may ask? No. Since whoever was doing this grabbed his arms, this turned Apollo into a human shield. He looked behind him to see Tucker; cowering and holding Apollo as a human shield. Apollo was completely defenseless. He was pissed off. He understood that people sometimes go too far lengths to protect themselves, but this was really sinking low in morality. _A human shield?_

"Really Tucker?" Apollo shouted in disbelief. "A human shield? Really? That's just low!"

"It's a tactical strategy." Tucker defended himself.

Hazzleworth just shrugged this off. _Kids these days, _he thought to himself.

Hazlleworth placed the whistle in his mouth, and then breathed in.

Apollo saw these next moments in slow motion. From the moment Apollo noticed Hazzleworth taking in a large breath, Apollo knew he was in deep shit. An even though this wasn't a life or death situation, he had a feeling deep in spirit and soul, which suggested that this could be the last things he'd see before he would circum to death by dodge ball.

His eyes rounded as he fully realized what would happen if he didn't get out of the human shield position. The kids from the other sides grabbed the red balls harshly; so harshly in fact, that Apollo, due to his fear, could hear the rubber stretching to fit each individual kid's hand. Apollo, out of instinct, kicked back as soon as Hazzleworth blew the whistle. It was just the natural thing to do when a person was in danger; to squirm away like the worm squirms. So that's what Apollo did, he became a metaphorical worm as he tried to squirm away from Tucker's grip. Thus, during his haste, he kicked and pushed himself off the ground. Of course, Since Apollo was a human shield, he bumped right into Tucker. However, Due to Apollo's misjudgment of his own strength, Apollo was able to knock Tuckers own feet of the ground. Both of the kids fell backwards and onto the hard gym floor; and just in the nick of time too. One of the kids from the other side; Wyatt, decided to wide himself up as soon as Mr. Hazzleworth placed the whistle in his mouth; so Wyatt threw his ball a few milliseconds before the coach's whistle sounded. So as Apollo and Tucker fell onto the ground, the tip of Wyatt's dodge ball just grazed Apollo's nose.

All of these things happened in the period of only two seconds; but these were the longest two seconds of his life.

As soon as Apollo fell off of Tucker when he hit the ground, and after Apollo collided with the hard gym floor, he looked up to see an over hyperactive Todd, look Apollo directly in the eyes, and shout, "Dude, get up. We got to freaking run to save our asses! Let's go, go, go!"

Apollo immediately scrambled to his feet, and he ran with Todd; Tucker just behind them. Where were these kids running too? Apollo had no clue. He did know however, that in dodge ball, everthing immediately shifts into human law, to the law of the jungle. And everyone knows the number Jungle rule #1; the slowest die. So Apollo, Tucker, and Todd, ran around the gymnasium like a couple of mad men; trying to find a way to escape death from the insanely fast red dodge balls.

The boys found there shelter, when they noticed the pads at the end of the gymnasium, on the wall. Everyone knew that these pads were Velcro-ed on to the wall, and were used during basketball and were placed at the end of the court in case a kid got too much forward moment and slammed himself into the wall. These pad reduced the impact of the slam against the wall of the kid struck the pads, and since they were only clinging to the wall by Velcro; The kids grabbed the biggest piece of the Pad they could find, and tore it off the wall.

They ducked under the pad, using their back to keep it off the ground, and now Tucker, Todd, and Apollo were shielded by the pad against the red dodge balls.

As some balls missed them, and some balls hit the pad, Tucker and Todd looked to Apollo for guidance.

"Well?" Tucker asked.

Apollo was confused. "Well what?" he asked.

"You're the genius here!" Todd practically screamed. "What's your master plan to get us out of this?"

"I don't have freaking genius blood in me!" Apollo practically screamed. "My mom is dumber than a bag of rocks."

As Apollo tried to calm himself down; by breathing deeply, his friends were still invested in his huge brain, hoping it would get them out of this predicament.

"Well," they asked in unison.

It was at this point that Apollo realized that he could sometimes hate it when his friends needed his help. But after glaring at his friends with anger, he shrugged this off as an idea came to mind.

"Okay" he stated calmly behind the pad. "They only have so many balls to throw, so, it is possible that if we just wait this out, they'll run out of balls to throw."

As if on cue, there were no longer balls flying in the air. The gym got very silent as the kids behind the pad realized that the kids from the other side stopped throwing. However, this action was taken so instantly, and so suddenly, that everyone behind the pad had a hard time believing that it was safe to peak their head out the other side.

"Is it over?" Tucker asked.

"I can't be," Todd stated out of disbelief.

Apollo decided to take action, and see if it was okay to look. He Peaked his head out from behind the pad, and notice the kids on the other side were standing still. Some of them seemed disappointed. Apollo did notice two big factors in the gym. A; all of their hands on the other side were empty, so they had no ammo. And B; Apollo noticed a Sea of red dodge balls, on his side of the court. The dodge balls laid on his side of the court in a circus of red rubber. Apollo immediately sprang up from behind the pad, and he proclaimed in victory….

"Yes!" he shouted as he stood up. "Ah Ha! We win." He then got a little cocky, and decided to insult the other team. "Ha, ha!" he proclaimed in a snotty fashion. "Your team has no balls; literally. Ha! In your face!"

That's when Apollo saw it. Wyatt stepped out from behind two players, with a huge smirk on his face. And in his one hand, he tossed a small, round, red, rubber object in the air. Apollo's heart immediately jumped to his throat, and his stomach sank with fear. He felt a creep go up his spine, and he felt a chill trickle down his neck.

"Nope," Wyatt proclaimed with excitement. "How about…..IN _YOUR _FACE!"

Two words crossed Apollo's mind. _Alas, Babylon. _

Wyatt tossed the red ball with such speed it would have made pro pitcher from the MLB jealousy. That Ball flew across the room towards its target; which unfortunately was Apollo face. There was no time to even brace for impact, one minute the ball was flying at him, and the next…..

Apollo woke some time later on the ground. His head was throbbing in pain. His eyesight wasn't so good. It looked like he was underwater, but he could make out the form of a circle surrounding him. As he came too, he realized that his gym class was huddling over him; watching him as he rose from the ground. And there was one figure that immediately rushed to his aid. And Apollo immediately knew who it was because of his tailored clothes.

"Are you okay?" Artemis asked.

Apollo groaned, not in pain; however. He looked up and noticed that some of his gym buddies were snickering as they watched this adult assist Apollo. There is nothing wrong with giving help to a child, as long as it's not in public. There comes a time when Teenager want to grow up as fast as possible, so they can ditch these life burdens called "Parents" and live life fast and to the fullest. To achieve these means, some kids turn to rebels, and turn away from parental Ideals when not around parents. So, when Artemis Fowl asked Apollo if he was okay, this caused Apollo to look like a child again. This made the pointy ear teen look as if he could handle things himself. This made him look weak, or at least in his classmates' eyes, he was weak.

"I'm fine," Apollo grunted as he tried to turn away from this man.

Artemis had no clue why Apollo was mad. He was only trying to provide help. Although, Apollo could tell by the giggles emitting from the other kids' lips, that Fowl was not helping in the least.

"Are you injured?" Artemis asked again.

"No," Apollo replied as he stood up from the gym floor; brushing himself up. The bell rang and the gym class scattered; leaving only Apollo and the once child genius prodigy in the gym.

"Is there anything broken?" Artemis asked.

"Just my pride," Apollo stated. Then his mood changed from a fog filled pain, to intense anger. "And why do you care? You don't know me!"

The 'Artemis' man looked stunned. He looked as if though he was shot through the chest by an armor piercing bullet. And if Apollo could feel Artemis's feelings at this moment, he would compare it to that feeling you get when you realize that all you've worked for and who you've worked for turns their back on you and shuns you away. It was a very sad moment for the ex-criminal mastermind. He wanted to shout 'Yes Apollo! I do know you! You're my son; my one and only flesh and blood!'

But he didn't. Of course he didn't. He made a deal with Minerva that he and Holly would tell the child after school today. And since his Aristocrat sensibilities wouldn't allow him to break a deal, he had to suck the lump down his throat, and state back, "I'm just trying to know you better. You seem like a nice individual and I'd like to make an acquaintance."

Apollo pointed a finger at this man, and began his tirade. "You know what? While I'm perfectly fine with letting you become a friend, let me just make one thing clear. Following me around all day, is not cool. Add that to the fact that you've royal embarrassed me by making me look defenseless in front of the whole gym class, and well, it comes down to this. Artemis Fowl, whoever the hell you are, I don't like you! I possibly may never like you! But, Since I barley know you, and since you barley know me, I'll let this slide. And, if you truly want to know me, here's me in a nut shell. I am Apollo Julius Pardizio. Don't ask me about why my middle name is Julius. I have no clue and my mom won't tell me the origin. I play sports; mostly softball and basketball. And I play music. In the words of AC/DC, 'rock and roll will never die.' I like Chinese food, and Xbox, and I get on YouTube more than Facebook. Oh, and by the way, I'm in the drumline; which I need to report to this hour, so I'll either see you there, or I bid you Good Day."

And with that, Apollo turned with a "humph", and walked away.

Artemis stood there stunned. _I should have come to see him sooner, _he thought. _It looks like his hormones are acting up. Ahh, the joys of adolescence; I remember when I felt those hormones raging through my nervous system like a bat out of hell. Thankfully, I was able to conquer through it for at least several years._

Then, another thought popped right into his head. _Did my son just declare that he is in recreational school activities? Maybe he's not so much like me. _

* * *

**I'm sorry that I'm cutting this chapter short. I told someone that this chapter would contain Holly as well. But they are getting too long for me. I promised myself, as a new goal, that I would write shorter and sweeter, and not make things long and drawn out. I hope everyone still enjoyed the chapter however. I think I've might have rambled too much about music though. (I love music.)**

**Anyways, next chapter update may be a while. Our basketball team is about to have our first game and I need to work on my other fan fic **_**Diary of a Thieve; **_**which seems to just be sitting on the shelf.**

**If you really want a good laugh, I suggest that you read that. I truly believe it is some of my best work under comedy. **

**So, yeah. ROGER FUCKING ROGERS! I can't wait man. Truly, I just can't wait.**

**So, next chapter will contain Holly, and the big reveal.**

**Peace out, and PLEASE REVIEW!**


	4. hints of symbolic insest & drums

**School's a bitch. I just finished Jr. High Ball, and now they're pushing the freshmen up to High school ball, and guess how long it last….TILL FREAKIN MARCH. I' ll try to type as much as I can, I just hope to God it snows a lot and I have more free time on my hands.**

**I saw "**_**The Wall," **_**live and David Gilmore made a surprise appearance. Now I know the full meaning of life.**

**Sorry Captain Holly Short of The LEP, I wish you could've been there. **

**So, to make it up to you, I posted a little video on my YouTube page. It's me playing the drums along with Pink Floyd's 'Wish you were here.' **

**Hope you enjoy this chapter. **

**Song; Grace: **_**Lamb of God. **_

**There are no starters for this chapter, just play the song when you feel its right. You might want to listen to it first to get the feel of it.**

"_When I bought the first 'Ruts,' Album, and heard their signal 'in a rut,' I thought 'Whoa! They understand me. I'm in a rut!' and it's impossible to see this young Henry, this boy, never missed a meal in his life, with blinding white underwear on, under his Levis jeans saying 'I'm in a rut.' Its like, 'oh really, were you ever tied upside down by an abusive boyfriend of a mother and beaten?' No. 'Were you every tortured and starved like a dog?' no. 'THEN WHAT ARE YOU IN A RUT ABOUT!' ….well, that's just a part of being young. When you're a teenager, you think you're in a rut. *dramatic voice* I'm in a rut. No one understands me. I'm a warrior in a turbulent time. These 17 year old eyes have seen war, death, and destruction on my streets. 'Really? And you live right next to the Washington Cathedral?' shut up. _

_Henry Rollins. _

She took another look at the Passport, unsure if this was the right one. She was certain that it was the same face, and she was certain that the height posted on the passports were identical to the height that both of these men appeared to be, but it almost seemed impossible for a person to be so…_small._

"Mr….uh…..Julius Root?" the women asked eyeballing the little man in the trench coat.

The man looked up with a huge grin painted across his face, and his eyes glared with a strange kindness. "Yes, Ma'am. That's me."

"Well, all of your information checks out," The women behind the desk declared, "and your flight has been reserved as of last night via internet, but….something seems off." She declared, trying to hide her real emotions behind this strange scenario.

Another man behind Root, who was equally as small, came by his side to assist him. "Really, why?" Mulch asked. Then he gave off a sigh in an almost fake realization. "Oh, is it because were so small?"

The women's eyes widen immediately. Her secret was now known. She suddenly went on the defensive. "Oh No, No!" The women declared waving her arms about. "I'm just saying….well….you know,"

Mulch immediately went on the offensive, and got closer to her desk. Ironically, because of his size, he had to jump up like a child trying to overlook a crowd just so he can speak to this woman. "Don't give us that bull!" Mulch declared jumping. "I know the real reason. We can see it in your eyes. You think cause were small we can't do anything. You think of us like children. You're a sizesist. Well how about this huh, Mrs. Big and Tall, knowitall. How's the weather up there? Huh! How does it feel? Huh. Huh!"

The girl was now shaking in fear, as she braced her eyes and body for who knows what. Airports these days are not the best places to see anger. That usually leads to something far more dangerous.

But instead of a slap to the face, a complaint sent to her manager, she received something from Mulch that she never was expecting.

He laughed. In fact he was laughing so hard, snot bubbles were bursting out of his nose.

"Awe man." Mulch exclaimed as he held his stomach and pointed at the lady. "Did you see the look on you face?" he asked the girl. And then after wiping the bits of snot onto his sleeve, he told her the rest. "Relax, were use to it. I'm just yacking with ya. We know were small."

The women suddenly lost all of her pressure and laughed as well. "You got me good." She smiled and pointed at Mulch. "Cause I was going to say that I've seen a lot of small people here, but your like circus midget small."

"Hey," Mulch exclaimed while cocking a brow. "Not everything about us is tiny, _if you know what I mean."_

Suddenly, with a "_GACK" _Mulch lost all the air from his lungs. He felt something constricting around his neck, and it wasn't long before Mulch realized that he had been put into a head lock by Julius Root, and that Julius was flexing his bicep tighter, and tighter, by the second.

"I'm sorry about my colleague here," Root stated to the lady. "He's a bit of a jerk, with no idea about his place in the space time continuum. Sorry if he offended you."

"No problem what so ever." The lady behind the desk replied with a smile.

It was at this point that Mulch realized everything was turning black. It wouldn't be long now before Mulch blacked out into a dark abbeys. So using the only free finger at the time, which was his pinkie, he politely tapped Root on said bicep he was using to strangle. And then, using all the strength in his throat he had left, he spoke.

"Listen Root," Mulch strained. "I know you got a thing for men but this is not the place where your suppose to tug and pull." The grip got tighter and Mulch realized that things were getting serious. "Root I'm sorry, please let me go."

"Very well," Root replied. And with that he let go. Mulch fell to the floor with a thud, and started breathing in deeply; savoring each breath as if it were his first breath on earth. Once and a while, the dwarf coughed and hacked up something fierce in his lungs.

"Sir, are you going to be okay?" The women behind the counter asked.

"He'll be fine," Root replied to the Lady. "He's use to this." Then he stared into the woman's eyes once more, and used that coy smile and that sweet kindness that he once used before to speak to the women. "So, does all of our information check out?"

"Yep," The women stated behind the counter. Machines whirled around and about three seconds later, two large pieces of paper were handing to the cleverly disguised mythical beings. "Here's your tickets Gentleman. Second class tickets to Dublin. Have a nice flight."

"Thank you Madame" Root stated with a smile.

"You're welcome," The girl stated with a blush. She was going to remember this guy for a while.

The airport in San Juan, while being a very small in Airport standards, was still fairly large. It was going to take Mulch and Root a Tram and at least 1 mile of walking before they got to their gate. Root didn't mind. All he cared about was the mission at hand. With each step he took, he ran about every statistic, every detail, and every little know fact about the Fowl manor the he could muster. He had to run through every soilid bit of information in his mind, so he had no time to complain about the distance they were walking.

Mulch on the other hand….

"A MILE!" Mulch exclaimed. "HOLY FROND!" Root turned around and placed a finger on his lips, showing that Mulch had made a bit of a scene, and it was time to hush up. When they started walking again, Mulch's voice was a whisper. "I mean, I just don't get it. All of this walking and yet still, mud men are some of the fattest things I've seen. I mean look at some of these people." Mulch exclaimed.

Root shrugged off this gesture and walked the rest of the way to the plane.

When both Mulch and Root arrived at their plane. Mulch was given the duty to place their bags up in the storage compartment above them; much to his disliking. As he was packing the carry-on's away, however; he noticed a strange look in Root's eyes as the past commander stared out the window. It was the deep in thought trance that only philosopher's could muster.

"Got someone on your mind?" Mulched asked as he slammed down into his chair, and began to relax.

The ex-commander took a deep sigh, and then said two words that Mulch already could coincide with. "30 years." He stated long, drawn out, and filled with meaning. "It has been 30 years since me and Holly last spoke to each other." Then he took another deep breath. "The last few words I said to her were for her to protect and take care of Artemis. And now she's married to the man."

"She went above and beyond the call of duty," Mulch declared. "What's the matter with you? Jealous over Fowl."

"Hell no," Root stated. "I never had any romantic thought about Holly ever. She was my student and a close friend of mine that worked alongside me for years. She's almost like, a sister to me."

"Did you ever tongue kiss your sister?" Mulch asked deviously with a smile.

"Shut the fuck up," Root replied gruffly and low.

"Now there's the Root I'm looking for," Mulch exclaimed as he rubbed his hair. "I was going to say you freaked me out a bit. You've changed."

Root took this opportunity to stare at Mulch and speak to him directly. "You have to remember that technically I'm not the real Root."

"I'll say," Mulch stated. "The real Root wouldn't have been so politely and nice to that women back there. And the real Root would have had me locked up or at least shot my testicles."

Root took another long look out his window. "When I was growing in the vat; coming back to life; thanks to Foaly, I thought to myself 'when I get out of here, I'm going to do everything I can to set things right. No more anger, no more aggression, I'm going to live my life and treat others right." Then he turned around and gave Mulch a disturbed, angry stared. "Be that as it may, the first thing we have to do is talk to Holly and Fowl about the predicament their son is in. So if you screw this up, or screw us over, I don't care what pack I made in that vat, I will kill you if you let me down. Understood?"

Mulch outstretched his hand, awaiting a high five. "I won't let you down #8" Mulch proclaimed. And with that, Root politely gave Mulch that much needed high five. "By the way," Mulch asked. "How many Root clones are there?"

"I'm number 8 out of a series of 9." Root explained.

Mulch hung his head low and gave off a fearsome sigh. "Nine Roots. Frond help us all."

* * *

_BRAP-BOOM-PAP-PAP-PAP-PAP-BOOM-PRAP-BAP._

The solid and crystal clear sound sounded like pure poetry to Apollo's ears. He imagined the sound to be almost like a tin can in a rain storm, each individual drop of rain landing with a melodic thud. He imagined the sound to be tighter a crisper. He imagine the sound to be a light crinkly tone, that made his spine shiver and his ears perk to the noise. He imagined this so hard that he actually thought he was playing his snare drum, and he opened his eyes in hope that he was.

Only to find out that he was still and the quads he was assigned on. The reminder that he was demoted was like a slap to the face. Damn these quads. Where was his freaking snare?

Apollo, when he first discovered music, immediately vowed that he would be a drummer. Why? Because to him, it seemed like the easiest and yet the hardest. It was not challenging to keep rhythm, or produce a light and catchy beat, but it was a constant struggle on the drums every day, to get better, and faster, and even more likeable. His goal was to be the first front man on a drum set since Neil Pert. To do this, he needed practice. And what better way to gain the skills required for drumming, then to enter the school's drum line.

When Apollo first tried out for his school's drum line, he shocked and amazed his advisors. He got a P1 on everything, which meant he could play any drum like the gods. Apollo was so versatile that he could play the snare, and then switch the drums around and take base during the middle of his drum line's act. But what Apollo really loved, was the snare drum.

A.) it was light.

B.) the snare drum was signal handedly the most recognized instrument on the drum line. All of the snare drum players were popular and got the most attention, and women.

And C.) He loved the sound. He loved that no matter how fast he played it, it still sound the same, and he loved how he could get that strange _CRACK _sound by striking the very edge of his drum.

That year on the snare drum was possibly his favorite year so far in high school. He got the most attention on that year. He was the only student with a snare solo. Some New York officials even recognized him and he had lunch with some big time drummers. He was on the fast track to a successful life, and he may have had his dream come true of becoming famous behind the drum set.

And then it happened.

He remembered that his drum line was supposed to have practice in the morning. He didn't know if it was going to be 8:00 am, or 7:00 am, but he knew that there was no such thing as practice at 1:00 in the afternoon. He just had to sleep in late on that particular date. By doing this, he completely ruined his chances on getting back on the snare. Why? Because seniors are douche bags to freshmen and treat them like crap. They beat them on a daily bases and they over exaggerate one small mistake, like sleeping in on a day of drum line practice.

As punishment for this one little mishap, Apollo was immediately placed on the quads. Which Apollo didn't mind at first.

Then he placed them on. And Apollo could have sworn he heard his back crack. The quads were so heavy that the force of gravity was pulling his back into an arch. If he wanted to stand up straight, he'd have to lean back until his head touched the pavement behind him. But his back was the least of his worries.

No Snare equals no recognition. And no recognition equaled no fame. These quads were ruining his chances of ever getting attention. These quads were placing him in a rut, and he had to get out.

While Apollo thought how much better his life would've been if he didn't sleep in on that fateful day, other drummers began to finished the song, to which Apollo concluded as well. Afterwards, Apollo felt something strong struck the left side of his head, so he turned to see his one true enemy.

Michal.

He didn't know why Michal hated him, and he didn't know why Michal constantly decided to hurt him, but he did. Maybe Michal was upset because he was a senior who had it made, and out of nowhere, Apollo comes along and astounds the judges with his musical ability. So Michal tried to keep Apollo off the drums any time he could. And if he couldn't do that, he'd strike Apollo physically and mentally.

Apollo turned to Michal and glared at him for striking him. Of course the instructor, who was watching the whole drum line practice, didn't see this, and continued on with her spiel about how they had to get better, or about how they are only doing okay. The Instructor ended her speech with "So far, however, you seem to be doing okay. Students, take five."

Apollo turned to his right.

And that's when he saw it.

He thought that he was hallucinating. And if he wasn't there, was no denying it. Artemis Fowl was stalking him.

He noticed the tailored man sitting on the football bleachers, with a woman by his side. Apollo didn't know who this woman was, but he got the same weird immediate recoganization feeling as he did when he first met Artemis. The woman was small. She wasn't extremely small; Somewhere around the 5 foot range. She had a caramel color skin, which made Apollo question her ethnicity. Whoever this woman was, she was in a relationship with this Fowl character. Apollo could tell by the look that both of them had in their eyes when they were talking to each other. Apollo could tell when he politely rubbed her back when she seemed down, or when they decided to kiss each other; sweet and syrupy.

Yep, it was love alright.

Apollo decided to give Artemis a piece of his mind, whether lady or no, and walked over to the bleachers; taking his quads off on the way.

They were in mid conversation, when Apollo decided to interject into the conversation.

"So you are stalking me!" Apollo declared.

Artemis turned slowly towards the teenager, showing off his expression of somewhat annoyance that Apollo would interrupt his conversation with his lady. "I never said I was stalking you." Artemis replied.

"So you expect me to believe the bullshit that you and I are colliding with each other in every signal hour of this school day and it's nothing more than coincident."

"….yes" Artemis smugly replied. Then he got serious. "And please, watch your language in front of my wife."

Apollo was shocked. This woman was his wife? How could a man get so lucky to have such a wonderful woman. Of course, Apollo was not attracted to her. She seemed like 20 years older than him, but to say she wasn't beautiful would be a lie. Everything about her shined with a glow of beauty, including her beautiful auburn hair that blossomed in the cold New York wind.

"I'm very sorry," Apollo replied to Fowl. "I had no clue that this was your wife." Apollo gestured his hand out for her to shake. "I'm Apollo, and you are?" he asked politely.

The woman took his hand and shook it. "Holly; Holly Fowl." The woman replied.

"Hmm. Charmed." Apollo stated. "So how long have you two been together?"

"15 years," the couple replied simultaneously.

"You both work in the same field?" Apollo asked. "Or did Holly just show up here to surprise you at your job Artemis?"

"I'm not in the same work field as Arty," Holly replied. "And at one point, I was far from it actually. But may I ask you a question?"

"Okay, ask away." Apollo replied.

Holly stretched out her finger and pointed towards Michal. "Did that boy just hit you with his drumstick when you were finished with the song?"

Apollo sighed and rubbed the spot on his head that sort of tingled in pain. "Yeah," Apollo replied. "That kid's name is Michal. He's a bit of an ass. I don't know why really. I don't tend to think about it too much. Cause, I think if I was in the same position as him, I'd probably do the same."

It was at this moment, that Apollo realized his instructor was calling over the drum line students to begin the rest of practice.

"I better go," Apollo told Holly politely. "It was nice talking to you two. Including you Artemis; even if you are stalking me."

"Our pleasure," Artemis replied.

And with that, Apollo ran into the center field of the football field where drum line practice was being held, and he made sure to pick up his quads on the way.

Once Apollo was completely out of sight, Holly began her conversation.

"If that Michal kid hurts my baby again; I'm going to find out where he lives, sneak into his house in the middle of the night, and cut off his testicles with a pair of rusty scissors."

Artemis involuntarily squeezed his legs together. "Please my love," He began. "No need to get violent. And do they have to be rusty scissors? It's bad enough for the child that he is losing his manhood. But does he have to get tetanus too?"

"Apollo is my baby. And what did our son mean by job field?" Holly asked her husband.

"When we first met this morning, I told him I was an advisor from the New York Department of Education. He seemed to believe it."

"Hmm. Nice lie." Holly stated in a monotone. "And I thought you said you were done lying."

"It's just a little white lie my dear." Artemis replied. "Besides, we can't faithfully tell him the real reason why were hear. We can't exactly shout out loud that were his parents."

"But I want to Arty," Holly whined. "I want to shout out loud, 'hey Apollo, I'm your mother. I'm the one who gave birth to you and nurtured you until the council ruled me to do it no more. My husband, Artemis, is your father. That's where you get your talent from. Oh, and by the way, didn't I mention that I was a fairy and I'm wearing fake ears right now so no one can see their pointiest." And as she said this, she rubbed the fake latex ends.

"I'm fighting the urge to just tell him the truth myself." Artemis replied to Holly. "But we made a deal with Minerva, that when that fateful day arrives, we were going to have the meeting planned down to the brittle details, and that we would be waiting for him tonight at the house, and we'll tell him once he arrives." He kissed her on the cheek. "Be patient my love. We will tell him eventually."

With a tired 'huff' she leaned her head on his shoulders. "I can't wait another year to tell our son Arty."

Artemis had to chuckle at this statement. "We're only hours away from the moment, Holly. It won't take years."

"But each hour seems like a year," She told him.

"No," Artemis corrected her. "To me, each hour feels like an eternity within it of itself." He kissed his wife on the jaw. "But the moment is rapidly approaching, and soon my love, Apollo will know the truth." He kissed her softly on the lips. "Soon."

As Apollo made his way back to the middle of the field, he notice that something was different. The atmosphere was changing. Things were getting tense, and he didn't know why. Suddenly, the instructor said something that made Apollo's ears perk up.

"Apollo, get on the snare drum." The female instructor stated.

Apollo literally had to do a double take. He couldn't believe what she just said. Was the horror over? Was he now allowed to go back to where he rightfully belonged? It sounded so good that Apollo literarily was frozen still in shock.

"Hey Idiot!" Michael screamed. "Did you hear the instructor? Get on the snare drum you freaking moron."

Apollo immediately snapped out of his daze, and walked over a few paces to where the snare drums were stationed at. He strapped on the drum suited to his liking, and then walked back to the middle of the field, where he and apparently Michal, awaited their instructions.

"Now, originally we have three snare drum players, Michal, Joe, and Stanley Hibbins, who may be sick. We all hope and pray for him to return back to his natural health, wherever he is. But, in the mean time, Apollo you will be filling in for Stanley's spot."

Apollo was about three seconds away from jumping up and down and screaming like a fool. He felt like a kid who had just been informed he received a car for Christmas. What made Apollo so happy, was next to Michal, Stanley had a small solo as well. And now that Stanley was gone, Apollo had the solo, thus, he now had the ability to stand out and gained the recognition he once so rightfully had.

And then she said it.

"Michal, you'll be taking over Stanley's solo."

It was so much of a shock that Apollo literally screamed. "WHAT! ARE YOU FREAKING HIGH!"

The instructor gave him a glare that burned with so much anger that it could have made Apollo burst into flames. "What did you just say?" She asked in a warning tone.

"I CAN DO THE SOLO!" Apollo shouted back. "I HAVE THE ABILITY!"

"Bull," Michal replied. Then he turned to Apollo, making sure that the snare drum was close to Apollo's face. "If you had the ability, could you do this?" and with that Michal proceeded to play a rocking, raging, and amazing drum solo that stunned the students and even the instructors in the crowd.

Apollo even was shocked as well, but he hid it in the back of his mind. Right now, he was interested in the solo that Michal was playing itself. Apollo closely watched the sticks and picked out every detail of the solo. How it moved, the tempo, the stick placement on the head, and the tricks that Michal was using on the sticks himself. To the audience, it looked like Michal was playing at light speed. But to Apollo, everything seem to be in slow motion.

Then, the solo was over. Michal had a big smirk on his face when he noticed that some students began to clap for him. Michal leaned into Apollo's ear, and whispered "Top that, Byotch."

Michal turned about face to meet his instructor.

"Well….um," The Instructor began; still amazed at Michal's solo. "I guess Michal just showed us that he's got the part, so-"

Apollo took this opportune moment to begin his solo; hard and fast. The students literally stopped, stared, pointed and gasp. Even the instructor, who was usually not so impressed with solos, mouthed the words 'holy shit,' to herself as she watched Apollo play. It was the same exact solo that Michal played before, but it was ten times faster, and every square inch of the drum was used. To conclude his solo, Apollo decided to use a trick he learned from years of watching Michal do the same thing. Once the very last note, on the very last measure was struck, he immediately slammed on rim shot his drum, and then, he used his other stick, to violently thrust up against the rim shot stick.

And it flew up in the air. It flew up so high Apollo feared birds might grab it. It flew up so high that it almost seemed to disappear. Some students even got out of their line to look up in the sky and see if it was coming back down to earth. Apollo pushed them back; assuring them that the stick was coming. And when it flew back down to earth, Apollo caught it in his hands, twirled it lightly around his fingers…..

And proceeded to flip Michal off with the other hand.

The instructor's reaction was something that both Apollo and Michal didn't expect. At first, she was smilingat Apollo flipping off Michal. It reminded her of her brother, and how he acted on the days of his youth. She would have just shrugged off the action as boys being boys, but then that wouldn't be doing a good job as a teacher. So she gave Apollo a punishment.

"For that little outburst Apollo," She stated. "You have to polish all of these drums before you leave."

Apollo's mouth gaped open in ager. "WHAT! Man, that' a 7th graders job."

"And now I'm making it your job." She replied. As if on cue, the watch beeped to show that it was time for the drum line students to get off the field and report inside the school. She directed everybody to leave, and Apollo about walked with him to. But she wagged a finger at him and told him he was not allowed to leave school until all of the drums were finished. And with that, he was left their alone. It was going to take a long time.

As he sat down to polish his first drum, he noticed someone walking towards him. He looked up to see Holly walking towards him. He went back down to his drums to begin polishing. He knew what she was going to do; she was going to ask if he needed help. The problem was Apollo was pissed. He was pissed off at the instructor, he was pissed off at Michal, he was pissed off in general, but mostly, he was pissed off at himself. And when teenagers wallow in low self opinion, they tend to get angry and independent.

"May I help you?" Holly asked with concern in her voice. Not even looking back up to greet her, Apollo replied.

"I appreciate the offer, but I really want to be left alone right now."

Holly seemed like she was not going to take no for an answer. She grabbed his hand to get his attention. "Please, let me help you."

This time Apollo looked at her face, and the expression of anger, hatred, and rage was present on his face, even though his voice was almost quiet. "I want to be left alone." He told her; making sure to exaggerate every syllable.

Holly at this moment looked into her son's eyes, and combining that with the sound of his voice, she realized she realized that he was in turmoil and regret. She realized that even though his life was going great for him, he was in a rut. But what gave her the most pain, was to realize that those icy blue eyes of her husband, had the same spark of life just like her eyes, making her remeber that he was a part of her and Fowl.

She should have kept him. She should have told the council to 'f-off' and raise her child the way she wanted to. But she didn't. She made a horrible mistake.

It was at this moment that Holly realized she was about to cry. If you told Holly 30 years ago that she would cry over something so little and so stupid like this, she would have laughed at your face. She was old miss iron sides for sure. And there was no doubt that Holly was the badass at LEP recon. But this pain in her heart, it hurt worst than being thrashed around like a troll or being shot by a goblin. So, knowing that she didn't want to cry in front of her own son, she ran off the field in the opposite direction to which he came.

Artemis Fowl then walked up to the young man who was cleaning the drums. Apollo cocked a brow. "What's up with her?" he asked Artemis politely.

"You just don't understand." Artemis replied in agony. And with that, Artemis ran to catch up with Holly.

'What the fuck!' Apollo thought to himself. 'Does everyone hate me?'

* * *

Apollo loved the fall. He loved the soft breeze and the cool air. He loved how it was transcending from the seasons of life to the seasons of death. And while it sounds depressing when you put it like that, Apollo thought these changes were almost…..relaxing if you will. He found that it was just like accepting your fate. You have found your position in the universe when you feel the small breeze blow in your hair, and the leaves turn to gold. Or at least that's what Apollo felt when he would walk home from school during the fall.

But today, Apollo wished for that very wind to fuck off and leave him alone. He already felt cold and abandoned from having to stay after school and clean up the drums. And the cold weather wasn't helping either. Not to mention that right now he felt like a douche bag. He kept replaying that moment of the day where he told the Holly girl to leave him alone. He didn't mean to hurt her. He just wanted to be left alone. And as he kept replaying that moment in his head, he kept thinking about how much It seemed like he knew them from somewhere, but he couldn't recall when, or why he thought he remembered them.

He decided to shrug off the idea. Whoever they were, they seemed like nice people. But after a full day of stalking him, he really didn't want to talk to that Fowl character again.

Guess who was waiting for him when he got home from school.

As he opened the door into his mom's mansion, he only had to take a left corner into the living room before his jaw dropped. On the left side of the room, was his mother, Minerva. In one hand, she held a fancy wine bottle with about 2/3's of it already drunk; as if the laugh wasn't enough. But on the other side of the room Artemis sat on the couch, with his wife, Holly, by his side on the other cushion. The couple also had wine glasses, and they sat and chatted nonchalantly with each other.

His mind was blown. They were stalking him. It was now a fact. And it pissed Apollo off so much, that he couldn't help by scream obscenities in front of his mother.

"WHAT THE FUCK!" Apollo exclaimed, interrupting the conversation for everyone.

"Apollo," Minerva hissed. "Watch you language in front of the guess."

"No mom," Apollo retorted. "You don't understand. These guys have been stalking me all day, and that tailored suit guy is a douche bag, smart Halleck. And that girl-"

Minerva noticed that her son was beginning to ramble. She told him time and time again to not ramble, but he didn't listen. So politly and calmly shaking her child's shoulders she tried to snap him out of his ramble.

"Apollo," She exclaimed with a smile. "It's okay. I know these people."

"You what!" Apollo shouted back. He couldn't believe what was happening. His mom was affiliated with these stalkers?

Slowly, Minerva's smile turned into a frown. She began to act serious, and strangely, also sad. She directed her son to the couch. "Boy, it's about time you and I talk."

Apollo was interested, and also scared. Usually when his mom said it was time to talk, he either something really bad happened, or he did something really bad and Minerva just found out. Apollo couldn't think of any high jinks he pulled this week. So that meant something was wrong, horribly wrong. His gut started to turn as he sat down on the couch. A strange silence filled the air, and then Minerva said the first words. And these words confused Apollo.

"Apollo," She began. "I'm not your mom."

Apollo cocked a brow. "What the heck are you talking about? Of course you're my mom. You gave birth to me."

"No," she replied; sadness now apparent in her voice. "I did raise you, but I didn't give birth to you."

Apollo was a smart boy and could put two and two together. "So…..I'm adopted."

"Exactly," She replied.

"But why are we talking about this…" and then it hit him. Why else would it seem like Artemis was stalking him? Why else would Holly have seemed so sad when he asked her to leave him alone? Why else did Minerva invite these freaks over? "No," Apollo exclaimed in horror.

"Son" she told him. "I want you to meet Holly and Artemis Fowl. They're your biological parents."

And as if it were a horror movie, Holly took this opportune moment to show him the real identity. She grabbed the tips of her ears, and pulled. The fake latex ears popped off and revealed her true ears. Apollo thought he was hallucinating. His mouth gapped open in horror and his mind was in a total state of shock. He almost felt like fainting. First he found out the true identity of his biological mother and father, and now, he was seeing pointed ears. What the hell was going on?

"And I'm not a human," Holly told Apollo. "I'm a fairy."

* * *

Artemis slammed his fist onto Apollo's bed room door, which was where the troubled teenage boy was taking shelter. If you were to kick in his bedroom door at this moment, you would see a very troubled young lad, rocking to and fro; holding himself. It was as if his whole reality was demolished. Everything he thought he knew, was now bullshit. He had no clue what the hell was going on. It had to be a bad dream. Tears rolled down his face, he didn't know what to believe in.

Artemis knew that on a somewhat rational level, the boy was going to reject the Fact that he and Holly were his parents, but not in a manner like this. He was expecting some obscenities, and then later Holly would tell some stories from the past, show a few magic tricks, and it would be all better. He didn't expect Apollo flying out of the living room like a rocket in outer space, destroying cabinets and pictures on the wall, and then locking himself in his room.

"Apollo," Artemis stated. "I command you to come out."

"You're acting like a child," Minerva stated.

"I am one!" Apollo screamed in pain. "And you are not my father Artemis."

"Yes I am!" the ex-boy genius shouted back. "I am your father and I can prove it."

"I don't want to believe it. I don't want to believe in anything anymore!" Apollo screamed behind his bedroom door. "Everything now is bull shit. And you expect me to believe that there are fairies floating among us? Are you high?"

"We are not floating among you," Holly stated, sounding sympathetic. "We live in an underground civilization beneath the earth's crust."

"Yes. The both of you are insanely high! There is no denying it now!" Apollo screamed back. "Mom, what did you put in their drinks? LSD?"

"I didn't put anything in their drinks," Minerva shouted to Apollo. "They are telling the truth."

"No they are not!" Apollo screamed with nothing holding him back. He screamed with pure rage and anger that could only have been spewed by Satan himself. "They have to be junkies that you've found on the side of the road. Why did you have to take him here? Couldn't you have just made the drug deal and go home? I don't care what type of shit you're into mom; I just don't want you pushing it on me. YOU HAD TO HAVE PUT SOMETHING IN MY LUNCH. I'M SEEING WOMEN WITH FREAKIN POITED EARS! WON'T BE LONG NOW TILL I START SEEING BATS! I'M TUNING YOU OUT!"

Minerva went ridged. Whenever Apollo wasn't interested, didn't care, or didn't want to listen; he'd reach for the closes music playing device and stick the ear buds in his ears. He'd get lost in his music, and he studied it and replayed it like a terrorist learning the Quran before hijacking a plane.

"What does that mean?" Holly asked Artemis.

"I wish I knew, but I think that what he means is that he is going to drown our conversation out by paying attention to something else."

"It means that he's going to listen to his IPod at mind blowing volume and get lost in his music." Minerva stated.

And, as if on cue, Artemis, Holly, and Minerva, could hear a muffled out music that sounded as if it was coming from headphones.

"And now he's gone." Minerva told Fowl. "I swear to god that boy listens to his music so loud that he could get hit by a train and never see it coming."

Artemis took three steps, before his feet failed him, and he slid down the wall. His heart was aching in pain. He was defeated, and his son didn't except him. His eyes began to get shrink wrapped in tears.

"Arty," Holly came over to comfort her husband. "It's okay."

"Not, it's not okay." Artemis replied back. "I failed him as a father. And he doesn't accept me."

"What were you expecting?" Minerva asked as her 'bitch' mode got unleashed. "Were you expecting him to go, 'oh, so you are my dad? Hug me daddy!' Jeez, you've grown more delusional than I thought."

"Minerva," Holly stated through clenched teeth. "The only thing keeping me from killing you right now is the fact that you are a good friend to the Fowl Empire."

"You're right. I'm sorry," Minerva apologized. She sighed in exasperation as she tried to help her friends. "Look, I think the reason why Apollo doesn't accept you Fowl, is that you don't accept him."

"I fully accept him as my son." Artemis replied.

"When I say accept, I'm talking about recognize." She began. "He doesn't know your side of the argument, because you don't know his side of the argument. Apollo doesn't believe you because you don't understand Apollo, you need to get in his mind set."

"Who better than the one who raised him longer than we have," Holly inquired.

Minerva held out her hand, to which Artemis took, and she lifted the troubled man off the floor. "I'll fix the both of you some tea. Would you like that?"

"Yes," Artemis stated. "That would be lovely."

"I'll fix you some dinner as well," Minerva proclaimed. "I think it's about time you knew a little bit more about your son."

**I know some people were expecting Apollo's reaction to be a bit funnier, but honestly, I didn't know how to type his reaction out. I just went with whatever felt right. Updates will take a while due to high school basketball, but I'll try to get them in as soon as I can.**

**And yes, my avatar was hand drawn by me. **

**Next chapter: It's a surprise. All I can say is, it will change the direction of the story, immediately. Apollo receives something that no one alive gets. **

**Thank you, and peace be with you. Please check out my YouTube page. **


	5. let there be lightning

**Here's another chapter. Sorry for the long wait. Basketball can be very challenging sometimes, and not to mention the countless homework I had, and my friends on the interwebs wanted me to do another Avatar; the Last Airbender fic. All in all, I promise to get the set-up done before Christmas break. So here it is.**

**Song; Low Self Opinion: Henry Rollins. **

**Don't forget your song starters. (+)**

"_I remember my teacher asking me 'Brian, what's the I Before E rule?'….uhh….I before E…always? 'What are you and idiot Brain?' Apparently. 'No, it's "I Before E, except after C, and when sounding like A, as in Neighbor and way, and on weekends and holidays and all throughout May, and you'll always be wrong no matter WHAT YOU SAY?'" and I'm like…..whoa…that's a long rule their lady."_

_Brian Regan_

"You're son is….different," Minerva stated calmly as she told Artemis and Holly about their child; politely sipping on a cup of tea as she did this. "I believe that he gets his brains from you Arty. He could start reading at nine months of age, which even surprised me. At age 2, he could read a hard covered children's book front to back without breaking a sweat. At age six, Charlotte's web was a thing of ease. So yes, your son defiantly has brains. But that doesn't mean he is perfect and follows the rules. When I was told that he would be a trouble maker, you were understating it. Taking care of the child from ages 3 to 7 was a nightmare. The best way I can describe it, was it was like trying to catch a monkey high on LSD. He was all over the place. He yelled, he screamed, he jumped around like a maniac, but worst of all, he was smart. I had to stop myself from speaking so loud around the child, because the moment I accidently let a cuss word fly, I'd receive a call from the school, basically telling me that Apollo had just learned a new word."

"I thank god that it was you who made that mistake, and not us." Holly replied.

"Yes," Minerva replied. "Luckily it was just the d-word. I've said worse in the past and I'm glad that Apollo wasn't around to hear it."

Artemis took a big sip of his tea. "Please Minerva, continue." Artemis stated.

"Oh yes," Minerva replied. "After the hyper years, as I like to call them, Apollo began to start acting strange. And he got _fat. _Pardon my manners, but it's the truth. I started wondering if he was feeding himself to keep away from some pain. It was not as if he was acting depressed, but he seemed to have a very (+) low self-opinion. And then it hit me; he had nothing to do. So I tried finding after school activities for him to be invested in. We tried Tae Kwon Do; that didn't work. We tried Basketball, to which he lost his weight, but it still didn't do the trick. He still seemed to be in that strange depressing funk. Then, one day, it was gone. His low self opinion just seemed to evaporate over night. I wondered what could have possibly done this. It wasn't until I stumbled upon him playing the piano one day that I realized what caused his immediate happiness"

"So he enjoys music?" Artemis Fowl asked.

"That's an understatement as well," Minerva replied. "He _loves _music. He lives, breathes, and speaks music. And he studies music to the hallow bone. He is a music genius. He can literarily play anything; from Mozart, to Pachebel. And I knew that he had somewhat of a love for music. At age five, he was able to play the ninth symphony forth movement on the piano by ear. But, unlike most kids who only tapped out the keys with one finger, he played the song the correct way, and made sure to attack all of the chords. He was amazing, and continues to be. I immediately issued him some piano lessons; thinking that with some guidance it could lead him to a better life." It was at this point, that Minerva remembered the day that he son literary ran home to her. "It didn't go as well as I expected," she stated with her head hung low.

"I assume then that he never played music again," Artemis commented. "I mean, after all, he was just a small child and children usually lose focus and give up when life doesn't go as expected."

"Oh, not at all," Minerva defended. "He still plays music; it's just not the kind of music that you'd possibly enjoy."

Artemis and Holly looked at each other, both equally confused. It was a strange silence that filled the air. It was laced with tension and permission. As if Artemis Fowl was waiting for the opportune moment to ask his question. Artemis turned back to face Minerva and corked a brow. "What kind of music does he enjoy?" he inquired.

Minerva hung her head low. She feared that this day would come. She'd practice many of a nights trying to find the right words to break the news gentle to them. But the fact of the matter was that Apollo enjoyed many types of music, and with all of these genres of music, certain genres might activate Artemis's gag reflex. After a good deal of looking at her feet, she lifted her head up high and took in a big breath of air. As she did this, she wondered what words she could say. Upon exhale, she came to the conclusion. Even though it would sting, truth was always the correct answer.

"Rock," she breathed out.

Fowl cocked a brow. "I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that." He replied with a strange mixture of cynicism and confusion.

"Rock music," Minerva tried saying as fast as possible, just to get this hellhole over with. "Rock and Roll. Metal. Classic rock, that type of music."

Artemis cocked his brow in a bizarre and amusing fashion. Minerva in her head took a step back to view the situation. She'd always thought that Artemis Fowl would be a little disappointed that Apollo loved Rock and Roll. After all, Artemis was _not _into popular music (with the exception of David Bowe) and he was a classic music nut. As a child, Artemis would memorize every measure and every decrescendo of Mozart's and Sebastian Bach's symphonies. And at age ten, the criminal mastermind wrote his first opera all by himself; without the aid of a parental figure, nor the aid of the internet. So when Minerva told Artemis that his son was into the 'Love and drugs is free' music, she'd thought he'd be enraged.

Instead, Fowl corked his brow in the amusing fashion, and chuckled. "Really Minerva? You'd think that I'd be disappointed that my son listens to that junk? He's a teenager Minerva! An American teenager for that matter. It's normal for him that he listens to music like that."

"…..So you're not mad?" she asked confused.

"Most certainly not," Fowl stated with a grin. "I'm just glad he hasn't gotten into that hip-hop garbage that the youth has desecrated their ears with."

"He listens to that too," Minerva stated immediately.

"And now I'm mad," Fowl stated still with a grin. And even though he smiled, on the inside he felt a little disappointed. He thought that his genes would have kicked in his son and make Apollo think better and listen to better genres. How could he have had the genes that made his son fall in love with…_hip hop! _Of all things! Maybe Apollo's love for rap came from Holly's genes.

"But it's not the type of music you think it is." Minerva immediately went on the defensive.

"Why shouldn't be," Artemis replied. "All hip hop is the same; and that goes for all other music genres too."

Minerva's mouth was gaped open. She was shocked. She was in a state of bewilderment. But most of all, she was trying not to laugh. Her face was beaming with a sly and amused smile. She could picture Apollo just being in the room at this moment; mouth agape and shaking in anger. Apollo was very passionate about music, and whenever someone said something along the lines of what Artemis just proclaimed, Apollo would go off on long tangents that usually left his opponents annoyed and defeated.

After a while, Artemis was a little curious of why Minerva seemed so shock.

"What's wrong?" Artemis asked as he finished the rest of his tea.

"If Apollo was her right now," Minerva laughed. "He would have flipped his lid. If he was here and not in his room right now, he would have told you that there's a difference between art and crap, and that his music was art."

"I somewhat doubt that," Artemis stated with a grin.

"But there is a difference between what he listens to and what his classmates listen to." Minerva proclaimed.

Artemis placed his tea down and popped his fingers, preparing for a debate as he leaned back onto his chair. "Really? How so? Please Minerva; I'd be delighted to be enlighten by Apollo's love for this so called 'Rock and Roll,' and how it differs to the junk we have now as a society."

Minerva popped her fingers and leaned back in her chair, copying Fowl's fashion. She fully knew that there was going to be a debate. And she fully knew that she would win. "Okay Arty," She began. "I'm going to list off some bands, a few from Apollo's Ipod and some modern day kids listen to."

Fowl popped his neck, as if to say _bring it. _

"Okay," she began. "His friends listen to artist like….Rihanna,"

Fowl placed a hand to his mouth, as his gag reflex activated.

"Jonas Brothers."

Fowl dry heaved as he bent his head low, fearing that he would throw up on the spot.

"Miley Cyrus."

Fowl felt like he was being tortured. He was shaking from disgust.

"Chris Brown, Justin Beiber, Taylor Swift,"

Artemis was now at the gagging stage, as he could feel his breakfast from this morning floating up his throat and feared that the contents would spill out of his mouth and onto the tiling of Minerva's kitchen. Minerva was fully heartedly laughing on the inside. To watch Artemis squirm as she listed off one piece of garbage musician after another was hilarious. She leaned in towards his face for the kill; fully smiling as she did this.

"Soulja Boy,"

"Say no more!" He pleaded to Minerva as he plugged his ears. "I beg of you. Please, no more."

Minerva leaned back in to her chair, fully knowing that she had the floor. A smug grin was painted across he face. Artemis took in a deep breath, and fixed his tie from his frantic behavior. "I hope you can forgive me for my ballistic actions," he told Minerva. "I just can't believe my son listens to…Soulja b-oh the horror. I can't even say it!"

"Here's the thing Fowl," Minerva stated as she held up a finger. "He _doesn't _like Soulja boy. He _hates _him. In fact, he told me the other day that he believes that he wishes that Soulja Boy would get be dragged across shards of broken glass and then placed in a vat of bleach."

"There's still hope," Artemis proclaimed with a smile; beaming of joy and happiness. "All right. So if my son doesn't listen to the junk that you've just listed, what does he listen to?"

Minerva took another sip of her tea, fully enjoying it as it trickled down her throat. Then, she gave off her reply as if she were in a business meeting, counting numbers. Which she literally did in her head. Apollo would recite so many bands a day that the immediate list of Apollo's favorite bands popped into her head like clockwork. To get her point across, she left some bands out of the equation. However, she kept the predominat bands that made up the fundamental image of Apollo's listening criteria. "Pink Floyd, the Beatles, Led Zepplin, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Jimi Hendrix, Aerosmith-"

"Stop Tape!" Holly commanded as she placed the palms of her hands in the air. "Did you just say Jimi Hendrix?"

"Yes," She replied.

"I Love Jimi!" Holly proclaimed like a giddy school girl.

But saying that she just loved Jimi would be an understatement. When she first began her life on the surface with Fowl, she had a lot of free time on her hands with Artemis wasn't around. One day, Artemis suggested that she could get caught up in human pop culture that she missed due to her life underground. So she did. She went through Fowl's book collection; reading everything from Shakespeare to Hunter S. Thompson. She studied the comedic arts of George Carlin and Seth Rogan when she was in charge of the T.V. remote. She studied the artistic cinematography and directorial genius of Stanley Kubrick and John Hughes.

Music, that was different. She didn't want to listen to what her husband had to offer. (No disrespect to him but, did he really believe that Holly was going to sit down with a pair of head phones and listen to Beethoven? Really?) And fully knowing that Myles and Beckett were only seven years old when she joined the family, she defiantly didn't want to listen to the children's Garbage.

It was really, Fowl Sr., Timothy Fowl, who suggested Jimi Hendrix to her. He told her of a time when he was a young Irish lad growing up in a public school. He told her of how when Jimi's first debute album was released, the next day was literally Jimi fever. He told her of the God awful clothes that he wore and that when he was young, he and his group of friends would secretly buy Jimi Hendrix records from a man across the street who bummed the record departments. He told her that he and his friends would play them to themselves at night on the record player with a pair of head phones on; praying to God that a parental figure wouldn't step in and take away a C.D. from a 12 year old Timmy Fowl. So he handed her Jimi Hendrix's "Axes Bold as Love" CD one day and she decided to give it a try.

She was immediately hooked, and Jimi became her new favorite artist. And anytime she was about to go off on a rant about how mud men were horrible, she'd stop herself and think _they can't all be that bad. Jimi was one of them. _

"But I don't understand." Artemis proclaimed to Minerva; bringing Holly back to reality. "You just listed off artists that my parents would have listen to back in their youth. Why would a teenager, an American teenager, listen to something that was made before he was even conceived?"

"He believes that you have to start from the beginning." She began. "He loves some rock music from this time frame, but not all of it. He mostly loves bands from before his time; such as Pink Floyd to which he is addicted to. And his reasoning is that you can't love music now and not love music then. That in order to play now, you have to play the classics, and I have teased him about how if he had to study the classics, why doesn't he play more Beethoven. He told me that while music, in a historical term, began around the renaissance; he thinks that music for him began in the fifties. He believes that bands like The Rolling Stones, The Beatles; those are the real classics."

Fowl cocked a brow and leaned in to Minerva. "How well does he play the classics?"

And as if on cue, the house began to rumble with noise. It was a high volume discharge of static, mixed with the thunderous grumble of low chords that made the house sway with rhythm. Some objects that were on a shelf at the time, fell off onto the floor. It was a constant thudding sound, with a melodic accompaniment behind it. And even though these two sounds were vaguely different, it sounded like it was coming from the same instrument. It vibrated the house and the inhabitants in it. It was a strange sound that bestowed itself upon Arty's ears. It had the high pitched sound of a flute, yet the thunderous roar of a tuba. It was powerful. It was heavy. It was none other than Rock and Roll. And it didn't take a genius to know that it was an electric guitar.

And Holly almost wanted to cry. She wanted to stand up and cheer. The euphoria of sound that saturated her ears was clearly recognizable. She recognized the melody of the two chords constantly slamming into each other back in forth. She recognized that beautiful tune to her favorite song. The sound brought back memories of strumming a nonexistent guitar while banging her head to the delightful tune of a rock legend. It brought back memories of fun and pleasant experiences with lovers, friends, or family; even though she didn't hear this song till her family was long gone. The song brought upon memories of childhood buffoonery and mischief. She always would connect her feelings of those experiences, to her new favorite song every time she heard it. And it made her want to weep, cause it was so beautiful.

It was the opening chords to Jimi Hendrix's _"Purple Haze._"

Artemis Fowl casually got off the chair, along with Holly and Minerva, as they tried to investigate the source of the noise. They strolled through the house and it wasn't long before they found themselves right back to Apollo's bedroom door. The noise was now deafening, and almost made their ears bleed. The sound was emitting itself from Apollo's room. Artemis looked down, and noticed that the door was unlocked and not completely shut. Artemis took a big gulp. He was about to enter the valley of the forbidden. He didn't know why, but he felt that it would be rude to infringe himself into Apollo's place of rest; noise or not. He also felt, that because the sound was emitting itself at such a high volume, and with a strange distortion, he felt that when he would upon the door, he would be in for a surprise. He felt that as soon as he'd open the door, his son might be brewing up childhood discontent. He gulped in distress, flicked his eyes down to the door knob, and then pushed the door ever so slightly; bracing himself for whatever laid behind it.

And when he did open the door, it was a surprise all right.

The room was an overflowed wish-wash of rock and roll memorabilia, and colors. The room was packed tightly; the four corners almost seeming to get smaller and smaller with each passing second. The wall was furnished with posters form all kinds of bands; from The Beastie Boys, to The Beatles; To Pink Floyd, Led Zepplin, Gun's and Roses. The room was occupied by all kinds of music paraphernalia. It also contained a large drum set (possibly a Pearl) with a very leathery red paint job and glimmering wood furnish. The room also contained a guitar collection, running from Les Paul's to Ibanez. They were beautiful guitars; with angelic brilliance that glittered and brought even to Fowl's heart, splendor. One of those guitars was hooked up to a NOVA amp. The light on the amp was red, symbolizing that it was in use, and indeed where the sound was dispensing itself from. The chord ran through a Cry Baby wha-pedal, and into a red Ibanez guitar, equipped with a whammy bar and an America U.S.A flag themed strap.

And that strapped was hunched around Apollo's shoulders, as he strummed the chords furiously, and screeched out the lyrics melodically, to Jimi Hendrix's Purple Haze.

Artemis was amazed. The astonishment that he felt watching his son dominate a song that he thought would be above and beyond Apollo's ability, was too much to describe in words. He had to be hallucinating. His son was playing so skillfully that it almost seemed like his mind was pulling tricks on him. He turned to Holly to ask for her opinion on the scene bestowed upon them.

He might as well have been talking to a brick wall. A.) the sound was so loud that you couldn't even hear yourself think and B.) Holly was having as much fun, if not more fun, than Apollo who was currently playing the song. She was almost dancing to the beat. She was happy for she absolutely loved this song. But more importantly, she was dancing in happiness for it was her son, not Jimi, her son playing this tune with a masterful craft. He was playing it so well, that Jimi would have been ashamed to even play after him. Apollo was a rock god! And Holly couldn't help herself, but to dance to the beat of her favorite song, while watching her own flesh and blood give the song an amazing upgrade.

When it was all said and done, Apollo strummed the last chord and viciously stepped on his main pedals; cutting out the distortion. He pulled off the ear plugs that occupied his ears for the songs time being. He casually walked over to his amp and flipped the switch off.

Then he turned and noticed the three silhouettes of his mother, Holly, and Artemis standing at the end of his doorway.

Holly immediately clapped her hands. "Apollo! That was amazing!" she declared.

"I must say," Artemis commented with his hands crossed and a huge grin painted on his face. "That you have the talents and commitment of me, and the joy and spunk of your mother."

"You know what I say!" Apollo screamed through madness and in rage. He walked over to Artemis and Holly with rage. His eyes were blazing with the hell fire of hatred. He took two steps to his father, plant his feet square on the ground, and loudly declared "FUCK YOU!" before pushing both Minerva and Artemis aside to make way for himself as he walked down the stairs.

Minerva, Holly, and Artemis chased after Apollo in a mad dash down the stairs.

"You can't talk to your father like that!" Minerva declared.

"He's not my father!" Apollo replied; never once breaking his stride. He didn't even turn around to comment to Minerva. He went over to the coat rack at the bottom of the stairs, and grabbed his favorite jacket.

"Where do you think you're going?" Minerva shouted frustrated.

"Out!" Apollo replied. "I don't care where; just anywhere far away from these two nimrods is good enough for me."

At this point, Apollo decided to uncork that bottle of frustration he had, and pour out his anger upon Holly and Artemis.

"You know," Apollo began. "I can understand that _if _I _was _your son, why you would want to visit me. The question is, why now? Why did you decide to tell me 14 years later? And don't give me that 'we were waiting for when the time was right,' bullshit! Because it never works. Anytime is the best time! I just want to know why!"

"Cause we couldn't take it!" Artemis shouted, losing all of his aristocrat sensibilities and turning into a flaring mad man. "It's because Holly and I couldn't handle the pressure of living without you! Do you know how many countless nights I tossed and turned thinking if I made the wrong choice? Do you know how many countless times I cried because you weren't there? Well you don't do you? And that's the point. Because we got tired of you not knowing, and we wanted you to know the truth, to make us both happy."

"To make ONE of us happy!" Apollo corrected as he opened the door, stepped out into the side walk, and started backpedaling on to the road. "You think just it's because it's the truth, I'd be happy about it. But I'm not! I was happy with living a lie! I was happy with believing I was the only kid on earth with a pair of tipped ears! I was happy believing that Minerva was my mom and that she raised me from the start. I was happy with living in a lie! And then you had to come in, spread your truth around like it's a freaking bag of fertilizer, and ruin my happiness. I don't care about truth, I care about happiness. And for ruining my perception of reality, I would like to say FUCK YOU! And get the hell out of my life!"

Apollo, as he made this spiel, was unaware that he was now in the middle of the road. He continued walking backwards until he merged onto incoming traffic. And that's when it happened.

_SCREEEEEEEEECH!_

Apollo turned his head to the source of the noise. In front of him, and approaching at such high speeds, was a very large, brown Hummer that was getting closer and closer by the second. There was no time to think, no time to yell, and no time to react. Apollo's eyes widen to the size of saucers as he realized that the Hummer was going to strike him. His body involuntarily braced for impact. It didn't do much good. For one millisecond of a millisecond later, the truck slammed into his body, causing his body to fly off the grill, and slam into the wind shield. Shards of glass flew everywhere just as confetti does when shot out of a cannon. His body slammed forward, and then rolled off the truck limply, like a languid rag doll.

Holly's motherly instincts went on overloud when she saw the truck slam into her son. There was panic, and fear; there was no denying it. A normal person could tell there was fear by the way she screamed. "APOLLO!" once his body rolled off the truck. But her motherly instincts were now kicked into 9th gear. And these instincts were to protect and guard her son. Those instincts told her to aid Apollo _now. _She flew off the stairs like a missile out of a Kansas silo. Her body could have easily burst into flames with the rate she was running at. She immediately went to her son, and bent over the lifeless body. She feared the worst. She feared death. And by the way her eyes were spewing out tears; it looked as if though she believed it. Then she noticed his eyes twitching.

Artemis, at this moment, was directly behind Holly. He noticed by the way her body shook that she though Apollo was dead. Artemis knew better, and noticed that due to the velocity of the car, and at the angle Apollo was thrown onto the windshield, Artemis could quickly and calmly declare that Apollo was dead. Harmed, on the other hand…..

Artemis, while fearing for his son's health, fully knew that he wasn't dead. So he patted Holly on the back, firmly declaring. "It's all right, he's not dead." It was at this moment that Apollo started to come back into consciousness. His head throbbed with his heart beat and his whole body was sore and felt like one giant bruise. He slowly lifted off the ground; shards of glass fell off his shirt. And he rubbed the back of his head with his right hand.

"Oh God," Apollo moaned. "What happened?"

It was at this point that the driver of the brown Hummer came out of his vehicle, fully alarmed. His body twitched in panic mode, and his arms were flying about as if he were on fire. He was a small man, with black curly hair and snazzy attire. But that wouldn't be the thing a normal person would notice of he or she came across this scene. They'd probably noticed that his eyes were widened to the size of food plate, and that his mouth was gaped open in the shape of a bowl. He was more shocked than anyone else in this situation. He ran over to the boy he just struck.

"OH MY GOD, SIR!" the man proclaimed to Apollo. "I TOTTALLY DIDN'T FREAKING SEE YOU! OH MY GOD! I'M SO SORRY! ARE YOU OKAY?"

Apollo groaned in annoyance. The term 'there's no such thing as a stupid question' was null in void at this moment. Still, he couldn't blame the guy for what he said. "Yeah, I'm fine." Apollo lied. He fully knew he wasn't fine. His left arm hurt like hell. It felt like it was on fire. It felt like a blender was turned on the inside of his wrist and was destroying every bone and nerve in his arm. "It's just my arm," He began and he lifted the painful amr onto his lap. "My left arm hurts like…" And that's when Apollo's, Artemis's, Holly's, and the stranger's eyes began to widen in horror.

Apollo always thought that if he'd see a bone, it be sort of yellow. Like he knew that the primary color would be white, but he always thought that a bone would of had a yellow texture to it. He was wrong. Bones are white, dead white. Bones are so white they make ghost in bed sheets seem black. And Apollo could fully declare that bones were this white, for he was looking at a bone sticking out of his lift writs, and perpetrating from his skin; leaving blood and pain in its path.

"WHAT THE FUCK!" Apollo screamed. "MY BONE IS STICKING OUT OF MY ARM!" it was at this point, the frantic stranger stood up, and started panicking. Holly was just as shocked as well. And even though she didn't react as strongly as the stranger, who was currently pacing back in forth, declaring "Oh my god!" Holly still did the wrong thing as well. As a mom, her body told her to study the hand. By grabbing Apollo's wrist, a sharp jolt of pain went up his spine, and Apollo screamed in agony.

"Holly hell!" Apollo cried. "This hurts."

"We need to take him to a hospital." The stranger declared.

Holly rightfully agreed to this, and she and the stranger picked up the teenage Apollo from the broken glass and started lifting them to the man's car. It was at this point, Minerva came over to assist them, and she came by and grabbed Apollo's foot.

The boy didn't even get more than an inch off the ground. For it was at this moment, and idea popped into Fowl's head.

"wait, wait, wait," Artemis declared holding up a hand and assessing the situation. "We don't need to take him to a hospital."

"WHAT!" Holly declared in a surprised and choleric attitude. "Are you Crazy? Our son just got his wrist broken and his freaking bone is sticking out of his skin."

With a smug smile, Artemis leaned over and whispered into Holly's ear. "Yes, of course. But you're a fairy with healing powers."

Holly's brain immediately received the message, and everything from instincts to motives clicked on. She fully knew what to do now. This was shooting to birds with one stone. If she healed Apollo's arm right here in front of the child, then there'd be no denying what she and Arty had been trying to convey to this child all afternoon. If she'd heal him, then he'd have to believe them.

She took a deep breath in, as her eyes closed. She searched in her body for her magic, ending up right to her stomach muscles, which clenched as she harnessed her magic's power. It had been a while since she'd last preformed the ritual. And since her and Arty were partnered, half of the magic was split between them, so both had powers, though very little. However, Holly found that she had just enough magic to perform healing. So, upon exhale, she breathed the words of commencement as she grabbed Apollo's broken wrist.

"Heal,"

And with those words, Apollo's life was changed; forever.

He thought he was hallucinating. His mind couldn't even recall the horror that he was seeing. Small blue sparks flew out of Holly's hand, and onto his wrist. And if that wasn't enough, there was the sound of his bone snapping in place, and the sight of his skin re-growing around the wound. The bone started bending itself inside the skin, and with a final _pop, _the bone was back in place, under his skin, and his wrist was entirely operational once more. To make matters even more horrific and unbelievable, he felt it. He felt the bone going back into place. He felt his body healing up. And once all was done, he felt….._nothing. _It was as if his wrist was never broken in the first place.

Apollo started wide eyed in shock at the wrist which once had a bone perpetuating from its side. The stranger had a somewhat stranger and, hilariously calmer approach to the scene he just witnessed.

"Whoa," the stranger calmly emitted as if he were a stoner. Then he turned to Fowl. "Dude, your girl is like….. a superhero, man."

A smug grin planted across Artemis's face. "As so am I," the once boy genius vaingloriously stated. Then, he lifted up his left hand in front of the stranger's eyes. A strange erie pink glowing matter of light emitted from Fowl's palm. And his eyes became like a hypno-ring. At first, the stranger hesitated and took a step back, unaware of what was happening. But as he stared into Artemis's eyes as the Irish man fully used his small amount of magic to perform the Mesmer on this man, the stranger suddenly felt calm; at ease. Like he was at home, and no matter what happened, Fowl's eyes were welcoming and safe.

Holly got up and stood by Artemis's side out of pure instinct. Knowing that Apollo was fine, her attention turned to her second chain of care; Artemis.

"You saw nothing," Artemis declared to the man as he pressed on the Mesmer; Fowl's voice echoed with a strange sound.

"Yes," The man repeated as his pupils dilated. "I saw nothing. I don't even know what I'm doing here."

"You were driving along to whatever your destination was when you got in the car. You had a minor accident on your attire when a chunk of food hit you crotch. However, no one was hurt. Your clothing is fine, and you will go about your business and not worry."

"Yes," the man replied; deep in his Mesmer. "I need to chew more carefully. I got in my car and was heading to work. I need to go now. Bye."

And with that, Fowl let go of his Mesmer and the man snapped back into his new reality. He calmly walked over to the car, and got into the driver's side. He turned the keys to ignition without ever thinking of what just happened, and drove around Apollo, not remembering a thing. Within a few seconds, the man's car was nothing more than an ant as it drove away.

Apollo looked at Minerva, who was standing by his side. He had the look of shock and anxiety painted on his face. He sweated and stuttered as he spoke, feeling and looking like a lost puppy dog. "W-w-w-what just happened here?" he asked his mom. "I mean…..my bone, and…..h-his hand! It was like…..g-g-glowing and shit…..what? Please! Can someone tell me what's going on?"

Minerva looked into her son's eyes with the deepest affection. "Apollo," she calmly stated. "Fairies such as Holly have magical powers. Artemis has them too because he and Holly were partnered; which is the fairy folk's version of marriage. You have powers too."

Apollo's head seemed to be on overload and panic drive. It was as if his mind was an office building, filled with multiple cubical and employees cycling through paper work. Now, these employees were in a state of total chaos; running around like mad men in his head, as they tried to put together, piece by piece, the situation at hand.

_Okay, _he thought to himself as he started breathing heavily, panic setting in on his outer body. Though on the inside, it was a much different story. _So apparently this Holly girl said she is my mom, and she just put my freaking bone back into my body by just saying the word 'heal'. If, (and this is a bid If,) If, I'm her son, that means that I have these powers to. _Apollo's eyes focused onto his house's front door. He could firmly see the kitchen in the left window. _Only one way to find out._

Apollo took off into a sprint from the ground. He ran directly back inside his house and took a left. He searched franticly in the kitchen and flipped through drawer after drawer, looking for the tool to his quest at the moment. Then, he found it, and picked it up in his hand. The consequences for his actions if his assumptions were wrong were painful, deadly even. But he had to know, and due to the sheer amount of shock he just went through, this seemed like the logical way to know what he was trying to know.

Minerva, Holly, and Artemis tried catching up to the red haired lad. "Apollo," Minerva cried out in annoyance as she followed the child. The three ran back into the house, and took a left just has he did a while ago.

The group of three, found Apollo in the kitchen. Their breaths hitched and their eyes widen as they saw what the Apollo looked like. His face was scrunched into a serious mood, but his eyes glared wildly in panic. And as he gripped a kitchen knife in one of his hands, while the other lay flat out on the table, it didn't take a genius to vaguely predict what Apollo might do. However, Holly still had to ask.

"Apollo?" she began calmly, like a lion tamer would when he'd lose his whip. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Apollo's breathing was strong. His shoulders lifted up as he breathed in and out, and it was fast. His eyes flared with insanity. "If I'm you son," Apollo began "Then I can heal my hand."

Artemis now fully knew what Apollo was going to do. "Don't," Artemis stated. "Please."

"So if I were to stab the back of my hand, then I'd be able to heal it, _RIGHT?" _Apollo declared.

"Yeah, but it would still sting like hell, idiot." Minerva stated frustrated, now losing her control.

Apollo looked at his mom with the widest eyes of shock. This firmly made Minerva shut up. Holly was bracing herself for the horror, knowing that the act was only a good hand jab away. Artemis just stood in the middle of all this, mouth gaped open in horror. The Irish man didn't know what to do. Logically, he knew he should probably make a grab for the knife. But at the same time, he felt somewhat, interested. He felt guilty for feeling this way, but he really wanted to know how this would play out. Besides, if his son did learn this way, there was no denying the truth anymore, and Apollo would have to accept Artemis's fatherhood.

The red haired, pointy ear, teenager looked around the room at the silent faces. He knew that this was going to sting, but he also knew that there was no turning back now. So, taking one final breath, he picked up the knife…

And plunged it deep into the back of his right hand. It went so deep, that the end of the knife came out of his palm and struck the table top.

He was quiet for about 3 seconds.

Then….

"HOLY MOTHER OF BALLS!" Apollo screamed as he lifted up the now bleeding hand; knife struck through it. He fell upon his mother, who immediately hoisted him up and held him to keep him from falling. "WHAT THE FUCK WAS I THINKING!"

Minerva and Holly reached for the knife that was stuck in Apollo's hand. They made a quick pull and the knife was out. In its place, was a huge gaping hole that was now gushing out blood like the Niagara Falls gushes out water. Holly could actually look like through the gap as a pirate looks through a telescope. Apollo winced and breathed heavily in pain.

Artemis walked over to his son, and bent down to his face. Apollo looked at Artemis for three seconds. Artemis had the look of '_what did I tell' ya _smug all over him. It was because of this self righteousness that was present on Artemis that Apollo remembered whey exactly he did the horrendous act in the first place. So, through tears and in pain, Apollo brought up his uninflected hand over the hole in his other hand, and breathed "heal."

Then Apollo felt something. It was something that he never felt before. It was a combination of both pleasure and pain. It was as if he was working out, and thoroughly enjoying it. He looked down to his hands, and his mouth opened in amazement. He saw _his own _left hand emit tiny blue sparks. These sparks jumped towards the hole in his right hand, and replace his skin. He saw blood vessels, which were once snapped in half, suddenly grow. He saw the hole, patch itself up with new skin. He saw himself, healing himself. He was literally healing himself!

And once it was all said and done, Apollo did one thing that no one was expecting.

He fell to the floor and cried.

Artemis corked a brow at the boy. He was defiantly not expecting a reaction of this magnitude of this certain emotion. He was a expecting a small amount of shock. But Apollo was now highly convulsion and crying. The tears welded down his face and with each passing sob, Holly and Artemis's hearts began to break. It wasn't going to be long before Artemis was going to be sobbing as well. He placed a hand on Apollo's shoulder.

"What's wrong?" Artemis asked kindly and caring.

Apollo looked at Artemis with the most animalist eyes of hatred and rage. Artemis actually jumped back in shock. Artemis then received a quick shove from Apollo as he stood up, turned around and noticed the coffee mug on the counter top, and then threw the mug into the cabinets in front of him, causing the mug to shatter. Then Apollo proceeded to begin a temper tantrum and a tirade as his body violently convulsed and his eyes bled out the tears that never seemed to stop flowing. As he did this, he would find random objects (plates, cans, cabinets and drawers,) and would proceed to throw them across the room.

"I'M WRONG!" Apollo replied to Fowl's question. "I'M A FUCKING IMBACILE. ALL THIS TIME, I DIDN'T KNOW. MY WHOLE CONCEPTION OF REALITY IS RUINED. I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S RIGHT OR WHAT'S WRONG OR IF UP IS DOWN OR IF IN IS OUT! I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO I AM ANY MORE."

It was at this point, something strange began to happen. It started when Holly and Artemis noticed a change in Apollo's voice. It was no longer the teenager mildly low tone, it was almost demonic. It was a deep, thunderous roar that scared the pants off the parents and made them quiver in fear. And as Apollo continued to scream, his voice became louder and more demonic.

"I'M A LOSER! I SUCK! I AM THE WASTED SPACE OF ANOTHER MANS AIR! I AM THE ALL SINGING ALL DANCING CRAP OF THE UNIVERSE MADE FOR OTHER PEOPLE'S ANNOYMENT. I HAVE NO PURPOSE. I'M WORTHLESS! I DON'T DESERVE TO LIVE! I AM THE ONE FROM WHICH ALL HELL SPRINGS FORTH!"

Then, Holly grabbed Artemis's arm tightly, as she quivered in fear. They started pacing backwards. Something strange was happening to their child. Then, they almost screamed as they noticed their child's eyes. For these eyes no longer had pupils. These eyes no longer had irises or blood vessels. They were a pure pale white. It was the kind of eyes that you'd expected to see on a zombie, and defiantly not on a human.

"I SUCK!" Apollo continued; voice now possessed. "I AM WASTED SPERM ON THE EGG THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN USED FOR ANOTHER PURPOSE. I HAVE NO USE IN THIS LIFE, AND I'M ONLY WASTING THE TIME, VALUES, AND NEEDS OF OTHERS! I DON'T BELONG!"

Then, it happened.

Blue sparks emitted from his body. And these weren't tiny blue sparks. These were giant bolts of lightning, that shimmered themselves onto random objects and burst them into flames. The lightning began small, one or two lightning strikes every 5 words or so. Then, more lightning began to spring itself from Apollo's body. More and more lightning began surrounding the child, until he looked like the lightning was surrounding him. It shocked everything in its path, and no one was safe. The lightning coursed through Apollo's body, as it destroyed cabinets and created burn marks and holes all over the house.

Then, he started _floating. _Holly and Artemis couldn't believe what they were seeing. They thought that this was a dream, but the reality of the lightning bolts about destroying them made this all too real. Their son was flying; literally levitating off the ground as if he were some possessed child, and by the way lightning coursed around him, and by how his voice sounded so demonic, possession was a prediction they believed in.

He rose higher and higher, as the lightning grew more violent and pulsed itself faster and faster, and his voice got lower and lower, until it finally happened.

"_I'M A LOSER!" _He screamed. _"I SUCK! __**FUCK MY LIFE!" **_

And with that, the biggest bolt of lightning of them all sprang into Apollo's left palm. In his anger and self hatred, unbeknownst to him, he threw that giant bolt/ball of lightning into the rear window of his house, which was directly behind him. The lightning destroyed the widow. It demolished the dry wall around it. It caused the top of the table in front of the widow to burst into flames. Basically, in one false swoop, Apollo destroyed the back of his house with lightning springing from his finger tips. And where once a window stood, there was only fire and destruction.

Apollo slowly came back down to earth. The lightning died down around him. His breathing began to sustain itself. Then, he passed out. His body went limp and lifeless and almost fell to the floor. Holly's motherly instincts kicked in, and she ran to her son, grabbing his body before he fell to the floor. Artemis rushed over as well, but his eyes were more fixated on what his son just did to Minerva's home. As so were Minerva's eyes as well.

"Son," Holly soothingly said as she stroked his cheek. "Are you okay?"

He slowly came back to reality. He awoke from his black out feeling a major head ache, and a strange sense of strength. When he spoke, he voice was back to normal; much to Holly and Fowl's relieve.

"God, my head." He moaned.

Then his eyes twitched in front of him.

His mouth gapped open in amazement as he saw the scene of destruction. Two words could describe the chaos and the mayhem that was present in the room which Apollo thoroughly destroyed, and those two words were _holy _and _Shit!_

"Did I do that?" Apollo asked Holly in amazement.

"Yeah," Holly stated shaking. "Yes you did."

Apollo's eyes widen to the size of saucers as he fully remembered what he did.

"Do fairies usually shoot lightning from their fingertips?" Apollo asked, fully knowing that the answer was probably no.

"Artemis," Holly began to her husband. "What Apollo just did was something I've never seen before in all my years with you and the academy. I don't think that hybrids, let alone fairies can do this. This is not normal! Do you know what's going on?"

"No," Artemis stated as he looked at the room. He noticed at this moment, the communicator on his left pinkie. Artemis had this communicator only advisable and communicable to 5 people's numbers; 4 now since one were dead. And those 4 were, Holly; to which she was standing right in front of him. Butler; who disappeared long ago and was expected to be in France. Trouble Kelp; In case the world was in crises once more. and then the last number belonged to a certain medical warlock. Artemis grinned at this thought.

"I don't know what happened. But I believe I know someone who does."

**So…ya. **

**I just gave Apollo super powers.**

**He can shoot lightning from his finger tips, sort of like Zeus, or Electro from Spiderman. I know right now it seems a bit crazy, but trust me, it's important to the plot.**

**Updates will be few and far between since I've got high school basketball practice all this month during the school week. And weekends may be out cause I'm the only one on my street that has Xbox live, and a copy of Call Of Duty Black Ops. Guess who everyone wants to hang out with and spend the night playing video games. Lol. Not to mention I also got another fic, "**_**A method to the madness," **_**to which I need to finish the chapter this month. (Seriously, go check it out. It's suspenseful and if you love Avatar: The last Airbender, you'll enjoy it too. )**

**In the mean time, check out my YouTube channel for drumming along songs, guitar jams, and other crazy whacked out stuff. (Request may be taken. Just voice your request via personal message) and enjoy this story.**

**AND PLEASE REVIEW! **

**PLEASE! **


	6. To become a man

**Hey there. Here's another chapter. I thank you all for the positive feedback. It was tremendous and it truly keeps me going. Thank you all so much. **

**I'm sorry I couldn't get this typed out sooner. Basketball practice is a bitch. That, and turkey day is upon us. If you're reading this on the day of pumpkin pie…HAPPY THANKSGIVING! I've decided to get rid of the music starters all together, seeing as how hard it was to find the right moment to play the song. Just pick the moment you think the story and the song would sync perfectly.**

**Hope for more reviews and thank you all for reading. And without further ado, this is it.**

* * *

**Song; Welcome to the Machine: Pink Floyd**

"_I asked my father one time about how I was conceived. Because I wanted one good story, man. There is not one romantic story about my mom and dad that does not end in this phrase. 'So, the cops finally cuffed the crazy bitch.'"_

_Christopher Titus._

He sat there, and listened.

He took in all the information that spewed from her mouth, and he believed every word of it. After all, when a woman can put a bone back in your body without the use of medical equipment, your ears tend to perk up. She spoke slowly and clearly, and never once did she try to mask her emotions about the events of the past. For every word that was spoken, every emotion intensified. But she remained calm and collective, as she talked about how she and he came to be.

He sat there and listened about how she and his father met. He sat there as she told him that his father _kidnapped her_ and then held her for ransom. She told him about the Siege and left the story in all of its glory. She still had to proclaim that even though their first expressions of each other left hate and anger in their hearts, those events were in the past, and that they moved on. She still had to exclaim, that even after kidnapping her, she still loved him.

The kid laughed for a second and commented, "Hey Holly, I guess the Stockholm syndrome sometimes counts as love."

He stayed still in his chair as Holly proclaimed how much she loved Fowl, and how Apollo was ever so wrong to think that it was a mental illness that brought them closer together. She told him how much Fowl and her were made for each other. She told him how Artemis intellect and determination, combined with her relaxation and commitment, made them the perfect couple. She told them how nothing was going to separate them, _ever. _And after that, Apollo was silent. And never once during the conversation, did he speak another word; unless it was a kind and understanding question or statement.

She explained that she use to be part of a Fairy police force; the LEP (Lower Elements Police). She explained that because of her position in recon, it made up the word LEPrecon. She explained that the LEP and recon had been around since the dawn of man. It was this that made up the very foundation of human folklore on fairy myths, and tales of leprechauns. Apollo placed a finger to his chin, and the more he thought about human folklore, and the more he thought about the Lower Elements Police, it seemed to make sense. After all, this couldn't have been the first time a fairy made contact with a human.

He sat there as she explained how much of a badass she really was. She told him about how she was the first female elf in recon, and about her commander Julius Root, or the Beat Root as she called him. Apollo regretted his decision to ask her about what happened to him, for when she told of the loss she experienced, Apollo felt like a real asshole. However, deciding it was best not to dwell in the past, she continued with her story.

She told him about the countless times Artemis and her had to save the world. She told him about the goblin rebellion, and Apollo snickered when she explained that when the goblins were being supplied soft nose lazars, Artemis came up as her number one suspect. Apollo had to laugh at that on the inside. It just seemed so much like her. She told him of the deal Artemis and her made, and about the heroic passage they made in the arctic. She made sure to show him the scar on her finger, and he was surprised to notice how fresh it really looked. She told him of the evil Opal Koboi, and how her dastardly deed almost cost the fairy race thousands of lives. She told him of the humorous and interesting character of the dwarf called Mulch Diggums. Apollo thought to himself that it would be quite interesting to meet a man of Mulch's character. He was a teenager, no doubt about that, so that fact that there was a being out there with dangerous gas that killed and threw people off the ground when expelled, made him smile in deviousness. She told him of how she, Artemis, Root, Butler, and Mulch saved the world from a horrible Goblin rebellion, and how it was only the first of many times, that they would have to save the planet.

She told him of the evil business man by the name of Jon Spiro. She told him about because of Him, Butler almost died. She told him of the healing process that caused the bodyguard to age rapidly, and place Kevlar fibers in his lungs. She told him of the revenge plot to steal back the eternity cube; a device so powerful, it would make IPods, personal computers, and home gaming consoles obsolete. She told him of the success in that plan and how sad she felt when Root commanded the LEP to mind wipe Fowl. She told him of how this story seemed like the only 'normal' time before their relationship and about how the missions had a great impact on their lives, forever.

She told her son of the evil Koboi's return, and about how she murdered Root, and placed the blame on her. She told him of the painting that Fowl was trying to steal, and about how Fowl almost died via rocket. She told him of the eleven ancient wonders of the world, and about the scary and horrifying tale of their escape from the herd of trolls. She told him of how Fowl got his memory back. She told him of how they stopped a drill from exposing the people, and about how they were able to clear Holly's name, and bring Opal to justice.

All thanks to the help of chocolate truffles and Opal's ego.

He sat and listen to the story of how his adoptive mother, Minerva, came around to know these nut jobs. Holly told Apollo of the demons; the 5th race of mythical creatures that lived on the island of Hybras. She told him of how She use to work as a private Investigator, and how on one mission, she encountered an old friend, Wing Commander Vinvaya. She told him about section eight, and she told him about how Fowl was able to predict a demon's materialization even though section 8 was not.

She told him of the demon warlock, N01. She told him of how he felt like an outcast, about how much he felt like he didn't belong. To Apollo, he almost could relate to this creature. To know that there was someone else out there, that felt like a freak, made him realize that he was not alone. He was happy to be informed that he would meet the warlock soon.

She told him of their rescue mission to save N01 from the clutches of Minerva. She told him of Billy Kong's betrayal, and about how Artemis had to rescue her. Apollo took his time to nod his head towards Fowl. This was a symbol of thankfulness, and about how grateful Apollo really was for saving Minerva's life. She told him of Qwan, and she told him of the final fight on the island in limbo.

He sat and listened, and then his jaw dropped. _Three years! _The fact that they were gone for so long, and how much reality really changed, made him feel shocked, awed and confused at the same time. It was insane really. Could you imagine being gone for even a year, let alone three years? And the more he thought about it, the more he could relate with his biological parents. He felt that he was feeling the same way now, that his father did when he was told three years had been stripped from his family, his friends, and his whole reality. Apollo also thought about how his father, and his mother, and how drastic the change must have been to adjust to normal life.

She told him of their travel back to the past. She explained about how Angeline was sick. She told him of how Fowl called her over, and they decided that they had to go back in time, with the little help from N01. She told him of how Fowl had to face his greatest enemy; _himself. _She told him of about how they had to save the lemur. She told him of how Artemis almost died in the gorilla cage. And of course, she didn't forget to mention their first kiss.

Now most kids would be disgusted at the thought of their parents making out. But for Apollo, he was intrigued. To him, it was almost like destiny for his parents to kiss for the first time at that moment. They had been thrown together in multiple situations in the past, and to him it made the most sense for that time in the gorilla cage, to be the first kiss between his father and his mum.

She told him of the lie Artemis used. Apollo at this moment could understand why it took so long for Artemis and Holly to come together. For him to use her like that, to treat her to help his needs, it was wrong and low on so many levels. Apollo really wanted to kick the crap out of Fowl when he heard this, he really did.

But the fact of the matter was this. Everybody makes mistakes. And to hold a grudge benefits no one. The best thing to do, even though it's not the easiest, is to forgive and forget.

Plus, Apollo felt that Fowl deserved extra points for giving Holly the opportunity to talk to the deceased commander, and say her final goodbyes.

She told him of how Arty's clever trick of disguising himself, saved her from being a sacrifice. But she also told of how it was not the mud man's involvement, but that it was really Opal who was behind the scenes all along. Apollo had to keep himself from shouting, "Did that Opal bitch ever fucking die!" She told him about how it was all a set up, from the very beginning. She told him of how Angeline came to know the fairy people. She told him about how Artemis almost died in a plane, and about how Artemis made the clever switch from the lemur Jay Jay, to Becket's Einstein doll. Apollo had to smirk. The expression on Opal's face, it must have been priceless.

He sat and listened to the story of Artemis's descent into madness. He sat and listened to Holly describing the Atlantis Complex. He paid attention to the part about where Artemis became a new man. And he had to laugh to think that his split personality, of all the things it could have been, was a lovesick hopeless charmer. And on top of that, his biggest fear due to this illness was the number _four? _He almost busted his gut from laughing so hard. Artemis however, had to make the strong statement, that the complex was not funny. Not. One. Bit! She told him of Julius brother, Turnball, and about his escape and hijacking of the LEP Space probes. She told him of the finale battle, and how it was Orion, who saved the day. She told him of how Artemis had to spend a few years recovering from this illness. And she also didn't forget to leave out the part where she stayed by his side, all the time, through his treatment. Apollo had to agree that out of all this missions Holly and Artemis were on, this had to be the sadness. The fact that many innocent people died, and that the mean and bad villain, was only after love, it made Apollo think that it only had to get darker from then on. And it did.

He sat and listened to Holly as she explained her last mission. She told him of the many lives it took. She told him of the disappearance of Butler, and about the note Butler left stating that this was his final goodbye. She told him of the apparent death of Opal Koboi. She told him of the hell they went through. She told them of the fire and the flames that they had to jump over to keep themselves alive. She told him about how in this mission, she realized that she loved, and would continue to love Fowl. She told him of how that was their first night as a couple, truly together; bonded by mind, body, and spirit. And she told them of their partnership, and their marriage, seven months later. She told him about the details of their final adventure, and about how in the end, their last adventure, changed their lives forever.

And when it was all said and done, when she closed her mouth, Apollo had only seven words to say.

"I think I'm going to throw up." He stated. He hung his head low in revelation; as the feeling of sickness overwhelmed him.

And as this information painted itself into the walls of his brain, it left his stomach turning, and his guts heaving. He lifted his head up, and his eyes burned in understanding. But his voice was low with confusion. "You know that if the world made sense, you'd be locked up in a padded cell." He sighed and leaned his head back. "But of course, the world doesn't make sense, and now my life is more messed up than ever."

"I'm sorry that you had to be informed in a manner like this," Fowl proclaimed behind the lad, fixing himself a drink. "But the fact of the matter is we had to tell you. 15 years is just way too long to wait."

"Hmm," Apollo hummed as he lifted his left palm in front of his face. Suddenly, a couple of electric sparks danced around his fingers, startling the guest. They were afraid that Apollo would have another lightning explosion and burn more of the house down. Instead, Apollo was able to control his lightning admirably, and the lightning smoothly clicked itself around his fingers. Artemis was leaning back in the mid-fetal position when Apollo first controlled his lightning. And Holly did a small jump when the lightning came to pulse around his palm. But slowly, they came out of their tense state, and calm themselves as they watch Apollo control these few sparks, looking as if he were studying a piece of art.

"I always thought that I was unique," Apollo said allowed as he looked into the sparks. "But never did I thought that I'd be like this." And as he proclaimed this, the lightning died down on his fingers. He turned his head back to Holly, who was seated on the other side of the kitchen table.

"How were you able to control that, just right now?" Holly asked as she pointed at her son's fingers.

"Oh this," Apollo stated as he lifted up his right hand and cause a few more sparks to dance playfully around his palm. "I don't really know exactly. But it seems easy. I just focus all of my emotions and channel it into energy. Then I just think to myself not to get out of control, and then I can just erupt these sparks out of sheer will." and with that, he cause his sparks to rise a bit higher. A small spark hit the light switch to the left of Holly, and it caused the light to flicker on. "It's quite strange actually." Apollo proclaimed.

"Well, from what you just told me, it's almost like how we fairies use magic." Holly stated.

"So are you saying that this is like….an added fairy perk that you weren't aware about?" Apollo asked.

"Well, we technically won't really know until N01 shows up and analyzes the situation." Artemis proclaimed. "He is an expert in his field, after all."

"Well when is he going to show up?" Apollo asked.

And as if on cue, the group of four in the kitchen heard a tremendous fuss outside.

In the foreground, there was the barking of a dog. Apollo immediately recognized the yelp, and knew that it belonged to his dog, Ringo Mason; named after two of his favorite drummers. Ringo M. was a German Sheppard. He was a very big dog, and his bark was just as worst, if not less horrific, than his bite. His dog was not a violent dog. In Fact, Ringo Mason might have been the friendliest dog Apollo ever knew. The dog was very protective of family, however. So when someone got close to the house that Ringo didn't recognize, that person was usually in danger.

And judging by the added background sound of a man struggling and yelling, "Oh crap, someone get this dog off of me!" Apollo could tell that Ringo must have seen an unknown man.

Minerva, Holly, Artemis, and Apollo scrambled to the front of the house, and opened the door. Outside, there was a very tall man, with spiky blonde hair. He had on boots, jeans, a random black shirt and a brown leather jacket. He also had a dog, Ringo, biting his pant leg. The man hopped around on one foot as Apollo's dog held on to the pants. The man struggled to get free. It wasn't going to be long before this random stranger's pant leg was going to rip.

"Ringo!" Apollo shouted, looking at his dog.

As most dogs do when they hear their master, the dog turned his head and tilt it to the side; confused of why his master was screaming at him.

"Bad Dog!" Apollo declared.

Ringo Mason sulked, and whimpered. He slowly walked back into his dog house that was on the side of the steps, to where he was sleeping during the events that took place hours ago. Before Ringo entered his sanctuary, Apollo patted his mutt on the head, symbolizing that all was well.

The victim of Ringo's attack, brushed his jacket off, and took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself. Once he looked up to see the group of four, standing on the stairs, his eyes beamed his happiness. His face widen with a welcoming smile. And he held out his arms as he rushed over to Holly and Artemis; gripping them in an intense bear hug. "Guys!" he proclaimed happily. "Aw man. It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you to N01." Holly stated as she gave N01 one a pat on the back.

"Did you remember, and were you able, to get the medical equipment?" Artemis asked.

N01 stopped the hug for a moment and leaned back to show Artemis his jacket. "I was testing out this new spell for a few minutes before I left. It's the same spell that I used to disguise myself as a human, but I wanted to see if it would help me conceal the suitcase. And you know what…." With that, out of nowhere, a suitcase dematerialized and revealed itself out of N01's jacket. It seemed to appear out of thin air. Before it fell, the demon warlock, disguised as a 25 year old, tall, blonde headed man, caught the suitcase. "It's freaking genius what a little say-once can do before you use your magic." N01 finished his statement.

Artemis and Holly smiled at this. N01 one's personality had changed since they last met. But they didn't mind. As long as N01 was no longer sad or fearsome all the time, it made them happy.

"Wait!" Apollo proclaimed confused, interrupting the little moment that was happening. Artemis, Holly, and N01 turned their heads to the confused teenager. "This is N01?" Apollo asked as he pointed to the disguised demon warlock. "He doesn't look much like a demon to me."

N01 smiled. He felt smug as he faced Apollo. "Well, what If I did….this."

And with that, the spell vanished. It looked as if though his skin sank into his body. It kind of reminded Apollo of shutting window blinds, or maps unrolling themselves in a classroom. The skin san deep into N01's and his face unfolded itself behind his head. It looked like a butterfly coming out of its cocoon. His true form revealed itself, in all of its demonic and animalist glory. He looked like a cross between a goat, a human, and a lizard; to Apollo that is. And when the skin was completely gone, and N01 was in true form, Apollo's jaw literally hit the floor. After a while however, while the medical warlock smiled back at the teenager, smug, Apollo had to laugh in amazement.

"Dude, that's so freaking cool!" Apollo shouted in amazement.

"Indeed it is." N01 said aloud.

Minerva placed her hands on N01's shoulder. "Please, come inside." Minerva directed. "Then we can begin the procedure."

N01 smiled and took a few steps inside. Apollo ran up the steps and directly followed Fowl, Holly, and Minerva into the house. N01 looked around the house for a bit, admiring how different it was from Minerva's home back in France. Then, he took the suitcase, and walked over to the kitchen table. Now on the table, was a computer belonging to the LEP that medical operatives carried. It analyzed blood content, heart rates, hormonal activities, brain waves, and everything else in between. Basically, it was a doctor's dream computer, and it basically did all the work for N01. The warlock's only job was to analyze the data that would display itself onto the screen, and come to a conclusion. Apollo, Artemis, Holly, and Minerva sat themselves down at the table, and waited for N01 to speak.

"Okay," N01 began. "Our time on the communicator was cut short I'm afraid. So what seems to be the basic problem?"

Holly, Fowl, and Minerva turned their eyes upon Apollo. They gave him a look. It was an all knowing smirk, with the accompaniment of the eyes of anticipation.

Apollo pointed behind N01 to a cup on the kitchen sink. "You see that cup over there?" Apollo pointed. N01 turned his head around to look at the glass for a quick millisecond. Then he turned his head back around to Apollo.

"Yes." N01 proclaimed.

"Keep looking at it." Apollo commanded. N01 turned around to face the cup. Apollo closed his eyes and outstretched his hand towards the cup. He focused all of his energy that was in his body, towards his brain. He thought about simple emotions that kept him under control, such as peace and calmness. He played Pink Floyd tunes in his head. He took a deep breath in, and channeled these small emotions into one thought. _knock the glass over. _When he exhaled, a strange feeling emerged. He felt like fire was erupting under his skin, and that the only escape of this fire was through his palm. He focused on the glass when he opened his eyes, and he kept channeling his thoughts and powers until they sprang from his body. A small tiny bolt of lightning struck the glass, and it cause it to fly into the air, and fall into the sink. N01 turned his head back towards Apollo in amazement.

"Now you see it, now you don't." Apollo proclaimed.

After a couple of seconds of shock, N01 started stroking his chin with his thumb. He hummed to himself as he began to think of ways of How Apollo could do that. Then, suddenly, a question dawn upon him. He reached into the suitcase again, and out came four monitor pads that could connect to the LEP computer. With Apollo's permission, N01 placed two of the pads on the teenagers head, and two on his chest. N01 attached the Pads to the computer, and then asked the question that popped into his mind and gave him the reason to begin the procedure in the first place.

"How old are you?" the demon warlock asked the read headed, pointy ear lad.

"I'm 15." Apollo quickly replied.

"Well, you seem to be at the right age for what I'm thinking may be the diagnoses to your powers." N01 stated as he booted his computer up. "Still, I have to run a quick test on you to make sure."

N01 clicked a button on the computer with his long fury warlock fingers. Suddenly, the machine began to whirl and make electronic beeping noses. N01 watch his computer screen closely, like a man on a mission. N01 started speaking to himself as he read items on the screen. He didn't speak loud. It was almost a mumble. Still; however, Apollo was able to make out some words like "testosterone: 80%." And "Hormone activities highest rate: 85%. Obvious virgin."

Apollo cocked a brow; confused of what was going on. Why would his virginity be a vital clue or an important note to take on his new ability to harness electricity from his body? The whole gang at the table, with the exception of N01, was oblivious to what was going on as well.

N01 then closed his computer, and walked over to Apollo. He asked for the family to move their chairs a bit, and for Apollo to scoot back. The medical warlock told them that he needed as much room to Apollo as possible. He stood in front of Apollo, and held his hands out, as if to assure him to be calm. "I have to run one more test, if I may." N01 asked; keeping his voice calm. "I won't hurt you, but what you are about to see may startle you."

Apollo cocked a brow. "Dude, I've just learned that there is a secret magical mythical creature society living under my feet, I just shot lightning out of my fingers, and you're a fucking demon warlock. I'm pretty sure nothing will startle me."

"….Okay." N01 concluded. And with that, a strange yellow light substance emitted over the warlocks palm. He ran it over Apollo's chest once. And then suddenly, it began. His shirt literally vanished in front of his eyes, but Apollo could still feel it on his skin. Then, the real oddity happened, when his skin started disappearing under his eyes. Apollo's breathing intensified as he started to panic. He started seeing his own organs, still in his body! He was literally looking a blood flowing through his brains, his heart pumping, and oxygen flowing into his lungs and carbon dioxide exhaling out of his body, right under him, in crystal clarity. Yet his legs were still covered with skin and jeans. It was like N01 had opened a window to his body, and he could now see it in action.

Holly placed a hand on her son's shoulder, and spoke with kindness and a cooling tone that cause Apollo to suddenly feel safe. "It's all right." She stated. "This is normal. Warlocks perform this all the time in the field to make sure the body is working properly."

Apollo immediately began taking deeper breaths. He began thinking happy thoughts. He tried playing a calming Beatle'stune in his head; preferably "If I fell" from _A Hard Day's Night. _Apollo was now growing calmer and more collective by the second. He began to chill, and his breathing rate decreased, as he became peaceful. He felt Zen. He was now, cool.

After a while, N01 was finished with the process. He looked at Apollo, and smiled. It was not a smile that was achieved through happiness, but rather, all knowingness. Apollo could tell that N01 had just found out why Apollo was given these powers. The warlock looked towards Artemis with a big grin. And then he spoke as if Artemis won a brand new car.

"Congratulations, Artemis." N01 exclaimed in an almost sarcastic manner. "You're boy has just achieved puberty!"

Apollo, and the other three guests, immediately snapped their heads towards the demon warlock. This was by far the strangest thing they've ever heard in conversation. Their mouths were gaped open in shock and confusion. The people at the table started placing the puzzle pieces of the sentence content in their heads. From what N01 one just said, They couldn't believe that all along, puberty was the culprit for Apollo's magical gift. However, Apollo was flabbergasted.

"What in the hell are you talking about?" Apollo proclaimed to N01. "I'm 15. I achieved puberty like two years ago."

"True," N01 stated. "But you only achieved the human portion of it."

N01 voice was now a mixture between a business like tone, and a playful knowingness. Doctors, no matter how nice they are in real life, when they come upon a discovery, they grow smug. "As you are well aware of, you're a hybrid and a mixture of both a fairy and a human."

"No duh!" Apollo sarcastically exclaimed as he pointed his thumbs at Holly and Artemis, who sat beside their child.

"Here's what you are not aware of," N01 stated, holding a finger up and grinning. "Hybrids have two puberties; one for each species of their genetic make out. And these puberties rarely come upon the hybrid at the same time. They usual go through one state of puberty, and then some time later, the other half of their genetic makeup has its puberty. When mythical creatures, like me and Holly, go through puberty, we usually receive a cool perk to our magic until we grow out of puberty."

"But when I was going through puberty, all that happen to me was my Shimmer would randomly click on and off." Holly proclaimed. "Why is it that my son can shoot freaking lightning from his finger tips?"

"All hybrids, regardless of whether they are a mixture of two different magical species, or a cross between a human and a mythical creature, have abnormal abilities through puberty. Take for instance, the famous case of Leon, the mud man Knight. He was a mixture of a human girl, and a male pixie. When he got older, he had the ability to control the earth around him, and bend it to his will. And then there is the case of Marcus Strazinkiy; half human, half dwarf. His teeth grew to enormous proportions. Mud men called him 'the human beaver' and he became a stage attraction for the whole world to see in the 1950's. So the point is, the case of hybrids having special abilities is not rare, even if hybrids are."

Artemis suddenly corked a brow. He was intrigued by how N01 finished this statement. "I don't seem to understand here," Artemis stated. "What do you mean by 'even if Hybrids are?'?"

"Hybrids are now a dying breed. There are now only five hybrids left in existence." N01 said as he held up a hand. "It's not against the book to be with one of another species, but with the growth of the council in the last few decades, couplings of different species have defiantly been frowned upon. So many people stopped dating or loving members of the opposite species to keep in good word with the council. The five remaining few, I can't really name off the top of my head, but the two half human hybrids are you; Apollo, and a kid by the Name of Stanley Hibbins."

Apollo's ears flickered. He recognized the name immediately. He fully remembered the conversation that he had with Todd earlier today. He jumped as if though he had been filled with the spirit of Jesus. And his eyes were round like the eyes of a mad man. "Whoa!" Apollo shouted again. "Did you just say Stanley Hibbins?"

"Yes?" N01 replied, confused of why Apollo was acting this way.

"I know him!" Apollo shouted. "We go to the same classes in school together! He used to be the drummer for Todd's band."

Holly lean in towards Minerva, and cupped her hand outside her cheek so Apollo couldn't hear Holly whisper to Minerva.

"Who's Todd?" Holly asked Minerva quietly.

Minerva's response was a little to loud. "He's a kid who lives down the block from us." Minerva replied. "Apollo and Todd are best friends."

"That is an understatement." Apollo proclaimed with a smile. "Me and Todd are like peanut butter and Jelly. Anyways, Todd has a band and Stanley was their drummer. He disappeared days ago, and Todd's band is going to play for the Jr. High football team this Monday and he asked me to fill in for Stanley's part. I audition this morning and I received the position with flying colors. I have practice all through this weekend."

Artemis's palms became sweaty. His pupils dilated. His heart rate intensified and his breathing hitched. Nerves overwhelmed him like a tsunami overwhelms an ocean line village. Ever since the idea of this meeting was concocted between him, Holly, and Minerva, they all agreed that at the end of the reveal of Apollo's true parents, there should be once question to be asked. The perfect opportunity to ask that question had now presented itself, and Artemis knew it. And even though he was a genius, worriment of rejection and denial placed itself onto Fowl's heart, now that the question was only a few sentences away from being asked. The ghosts of what lies ahead, and the unknown, filled Fowl's heart to the point that Artemis about fell over in his chair. When he asked the question that would lead into the big request, he spoke with such an alarming speed, and a staggering stutter.

"Apollo, do you think you can miss practice this weekend?" Artemis hurriedly asked.

Apollo snapped his head towards Artemis. His face held the expression of confusion. The confusion lied within the way Artemis spoke, and what he spoke exactly. Artemis seemed scared. He seemed fidgety. And when Artemis asked the question, he said it so fast that an auctioneer from a small middle American town would be impressed. Apollo cocked a brow at Artemis.

"What do you mean?" Apollo asked.

Artemis mumbled meekly "nothing…..r-really. N-nothing." And then the prodigy did something that amazed Apollo. He faced away from everyone. From What Apollo just learned about Artemis, an act like hiding away was extremely rare for the ex-boy, still genius. But here it was in all of its glory. Artemis was scared to speak. Whatever was on Fowl's mind, it must have given Artemis the shakes. Artemis now had his face hidden from the audience in Minerva's house.

Holly, being partnered with Fowl, fully knew what was on Artemis's mind. She was ashamed of her husband's behavior. It was truly embarrassing. For Since Holly knew what Artemis wanted to say, she felt that there was no need to be nervous on asking a question like the one in Artemis's head. She struck her husband's ribs with her elbow. Artemis faced Holly, exclaiming "ow," and rubbing the side Holly struck. Holly leaned in about a fraction away from Artemis's face, and said viciously, "Just tell him."

Artemis slowly began to feel less nervous. The time was now, and it was his job to say the request he and Holly were begging for Apollo to agree on. He gained his composure and stood up to face his son. He straightened his tie and fixed his suit. He stuck out his chin, trying to be brave, and his chest puffed out so it symbolized his readiness. Then, Artemis spoke.

"Well, Son" Artemis began. "As you are well aware of, the weekend begins tomorrow. And now that we've met each other, I think it's time that we knew a little bit more about each other. But I don't think a dinner and a movie would really help us fill in the gaps of fully knowing each other. We planned on doing this when we first planned out our visit. Me and Holly….well….since the weekend is here…we wanted to know if you'd like to stay with us at the manor in Ireland for the weekend."

Apollo's brows immediately furrowed. His expression was of disappointment and anger. Artemis knew that when Apollo gave off this look, whatever Artemis said, it was the wrong thing to say. Apollo gave Holly the same exact look. Holly felt her heart sank. They screwed up. Apollo then turned away, and slowly, walked towards his bedroom. The manner in which he did this was a lot calmer than the way he reacted earlier when Holly and Artemis told Apollo of his true parents. But the emotions that were conveyed then were still there now; anger, hurt, and major disappointment. The rage that pulsed through him the first time caused him to bounce off the walls. Now, that same rage was causing him to stagger slowly to his bedroom door. Holly cried out, "Apollo" in need, but he didn't listen. With that, Apollo made it to his destination, entered his bedroom, and slammed the door shut.

N01, who was new to the situation, looked at Minerva with the look of confusion.

"He does that from time to time," Minerva explained to N01, clarifying Apollo's actions.

N01 smiled sweetly and gave everyone in the room a hug. Once everyone was given a very well executed hug of kindness, N01 declared "I'm sorry to disturb you, but I think it's time that I'd be heading out."

"Oh Please," Minerva stated as she patted N01 on the shoulder. "Please stay. Come have tea with us, and we can catch up on the times."

"While I appreciate the offer," N01 said kindly, "I'm afraid I must go. Section eight has been really busy lately, and I'm afraid that my presence being away from it is causing much more trouble than needed."

"Well, thank you for examining our Son's...gift." Holly proclaimed.

"Keep calling it that." N01 replied pointing towards Holly. "It is indeed a gift." At this point, N01's spell began to power up. Skin grew over his fur and a human face began to surround his warlock head. Blonde hair began sprouting from the scalp, and clothes suddenly began to appear out of nowhere.

"We hope to see you again sometime." Artemis stated. "Take care."

"Will do," N01 said, now fully looking like a human in clothing. And with that, the demon warlock walked out of the door, and went away.

* * *

About 5 minutes later, Holly, Artemis, and Minerva were seated around the kitchen table sipping tea. At this moment, the sound of a door slamming and footsteps coming down the stair enveloped the room. Emerging from the stairs was Apollo, and in both of his hands were a guitar case, and a suitcase. Artemis twitched his eyes over to Holly as Apollo walked towards them. The couple had no clue of what was going on.

For here's what the couple did not know. When Apollo went back into his bedroom for a second time, he sat there and thought for a while. Then, he began getting packed. He decided that even though he felt neglected, he really wanted to know the lives of his parents. He wanted to truly know who they truly were at home. He wanted to know the personalities of his parents a little more in depth. And he wanted to see the environment of which he spent the first three years of life at. So, in conclusion, Apollo decided that he would stay with his biological parents for the weekend. However, there were conditions.

"Okay," Apollo began as he entered the kitchen, and stood before Fowl. "Here's the deal. After giving much thought, I've decided that I'll stay with you guys for the weekend. If I end up liking you guys enough, I may want to come over and visit some more."

Artemis smiled brightly. Holly had to control herself from jumping out of her chair and dancing in happiness. The joy that filled their hearts was tremendous. For the first time in 12 years, Apollo was going to stay with them. And even if it was a short while, it made all the difference.

"However," Apollo stated. "There are a few conditions of my stay to which you must accept or I'm not going."

"Okay," Artemis proclaimed, still happy about his son's decision. "Shoot."

Apollo laid out his guitar case on the ground, and opened it up. The old, dusty guitar case groaned as Apollo opened it. Inside the case, was a teal blue Fender _Stratocaster; _With two hum buckers and a mini amp. Apollo pulled out the guitar, and showed it to Artemis.

"For my first Condition, I must show you my guitar. This is Betsy." Apollo named his guitar. "Yes, I know it's a little weird to name your instrument, but I find it rather amusing and it helps to give my guitar personal worth to me. Betsy is my life, my hopes, and my dreams wrapped up in a nice teal blue guitar. If you even look at, if you so much as breath upon it, and if you ever even dare accidently break it, I'll take my bear hands, rip off you dick, and shove it in your ass. You got that?"

Artemis took a step back from the situation; being a bit surprised from Apollo's seriousness. However; Artemis thought that if he was in Apollo's position, he might have reacted the same way. "Okay," Artemis said. "What's your second condition?"

Apollo placed his guitar back in his case, and closed it shut. "Now," Apollo began. "I assume that when we arrive at the airport, there will be a private jet waiting for us to take us to Dublin."

"Yes," Artemis stated.

"And I assume that when we arrive in Dublin, they're will be a car waiting for us. Am I correct?" Apollo said.

"Most certainly." Artemis replied.

"Does this vehicle have an MP3 player on board?" Apollo asked.

"I don't listen to MP3's" Artemis replied. "I have technology that would surpass the IPod, and put Steve Job's to shame. However; my new Butler, Juliet, modified the Bentley with an MP3 player on the dashboard."

"Good," Apollo proclaimed with a smile. "Cause when we get over there, I'll choose the music. We are going to listen to the songs on my IPod; No exceptions. We'll get to listen to the music I want, when I want. We'll listen to bands like Oasis, Slipknot, Nirvana, and Primus. You will be given a more in depth music lesson in rock and roll Fowl, and you are going to like it. Am I clear?"

Artemis had to hold back his gag reflex when he read the words 'slipknot.' However, knowing that this was his son that would be in the car, he decided that a little bit of punishment on his part was just due. "Okay," Artemis stated. "What's your last condition?"

Apollo turned away from Artemis and looked Holly directly in the eyes.

"Holly, I like you." Apollo proclaimed. "You're a kind, generous woman, who is proud to put up a fight and is a delight to hang around with. I am proud to call you my mom."

Holly promised herself that she wouldn't cry, but with each passing word, it was getting harder and harder not to hold back the tears of happiness. _He just called me mom! _She thought to herself with such joy.

Apollo turned his head back towards Artemis. "You Artemis, I don't like you." Apollo said this while his brows furrowed. "You are a stuck up, arrogant, vampireific, asshole of a person and it's going to take a lot to make me like you. I don't know why exactly I feel this way about you, but I do. So I'm not ready to call you daddy just yet. Instead, I'm giving you a nickname."

After a couple of seconds of silence, the tension was too much to bear. "What's my Nickname?" Artemis asked.

Apollo laughed and patted Artemis on the back. The teenager then held his hand out his hand for Artemis to shake.

"I'm glad you accepted my conditions; Professor Dickwad." Apollo called his father. "Now it's time to hit the road."

* * *

**Yeah. I'm laughing my butt off now at Artemis nick name. I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. I've got lots of basketball practice and another story to attend to, so updates will be few and far between. However, this story is far from done. An out of all my stories that I have written, this one hear is my favorite to work on.**

**This marks the conclusion of the set up. The next chapter begins the main plot. **

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**And if you're reading this on the 25th, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!**


	7. Beat on the Brat with Flashbacks

**Hello marvelous world of Artemis Fowl Fan Fiction. I'm sorry that I kept you waiting. My basketball team is currently in a tournament, we have practice right after school for a good 90 minutes. I'm stuck in my room working my ass off on homework. It's our last week of school before Christmas break, so the teachers are piling on a bunch of preparation worksheets for semester finals.**

**(Which thankfully, I don't have to do. Our school has a policy that states if you haven't missed more than two days of school and you have all A's, you don't have to take Semester finals. And I have both regulations on my side.)**

**I'm working out for an hour each day on a weight system, to keep my parents happy and my new girlfriend happy. My friends interrupt me with calls to get online and play videogames with them. I reluctantly agree, since I am trying to improve my skills. And I also had other fan fictions to attend to. I have songs I'm writing, and poetry for my English teacher to submit to an out of town poetry contests…..**

**Read between the lines, I've had a lot of work to deal with. **

**BUT NOW I'M BACK. And with a new and improve chapter of Apollo. **

**So, without further interruptions, here it is. **

**Song: Planet Telex by; Radiohead.**

"_Taking care of Kids….. I don't know how to explain this….it's basically like one day, a mini clown car pulls up, and a thousand of clowns run out all at once, and you can't catch them! We had five kids, now we think there are twelve my wife and I actually believe that there are parents dropping their kids off at our house just so the kids can cry, break things, poop their pants, and then leave."_

_Denis Leary_

Apollo didn't talk much on the car ride to the private leer jet. Other than a simple investigative question about his parents' life, he really didn't focus much on speaking. Not to say that he didn't listen to the answer's Holly and Artemis provided. He did learn about his mother's tragic death of her parents, and he stood silent and nodded his head when Artemis Fowl spoke about his life and the disappearance of his father.

But Apollo's mind was focus on other matters; such as what songs to pick out of the numerous songs on his IPod to choose for a playlist for his father to squirm uncomfortably to. Apollo smiled maliciously at this idea. As soon as that leer jet would land in Dublin, Artemis was going to endure a little Rock history 101 taught by the master himself; Apollo. Artemis was going to have a head ache the size of Texas by the time Apollo was through with him.

But what songs to choose?

Oh, there were plenty; 1002 to be exact. And most of them were great iconic rock and roll gems, like 'I can't get no satisfaction' and 'She Loves You.' Apollo even had an exciting and massive list of heavy metal songs, ranging from the old school like Black Sabbath and Anthrax, to new and explosive heights, such as Lamb of God and the Illinois nu metal gods by the name of Dope. And If Apollo gave his father the mercy, Apollo had a pretty impressive progressive rock itinerary, featuring such bands as Yes, Rush, Pink Floyd, and Electric Light Orchestra.

But which ones should Apollo decide upon? Which ones would make his dad squirm the most? What order should they be in? And should Apollo focus more on making his dad writhe in agony, or giving his father an actual lesson? After all, Apollo was quite certain that whether his father would like it or not, Artemis was going to get an 'in your face, but by your side,' lesson on the artistic growth and history of rock music. So the songs were clear, and he knew that somewhere around the bend, people like John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, John Mayer, and Jefferson Airplane had to make an appearance on the playlist. But when? What order should the deliciously evil teenage Apollo place the songs that would benefit as well as harm the grown Artemis?

Apollo decided to go easy on his dad, and would start the playlist with a short, but sweet and powerful punk rock song by The Misfits; entitled "Hybrid Moments."Apollo activated the _Genius_ App on his IPod for this song.

He looked out the window and noticed the leer jet coming into sight. In a few minutes, Apollo was going to step out of this rented vehicle that his father and mother chosen, and enter the insanely large, expensive and epically upper class flying machine.

Apollo looked back down at his IPod, and noticed that the first five songs after "Hybrid Moments" that _Genius _selected went in this order. "Ex Lion Tamer;" by Wire "Smells like Teen Spirit;" by Nirvana. "Hypnotize;" by System of a Down "See No Evil," by Television, And "N.I.B;" which was a duet between Primus and Ozzy Osbourne.

Apollo smiled a maliciously evil grin that would send shivers down any demon's back, and would send even hell itself, into panic. _This is going to be fun, _Apollo remarked inside his head.

* * *

Apollo didn't even talk while on the plane as they crossed the ocean towards Dublin, Mostly because he was fascinated by the interior of the plane. It amazed him what the upper class living was like. And since Apollo dreamed of a day where he would have such a colossal amount of cash from a song writing and film career, it was basically like he was given a preview of where he would be heading if his dreams came true.

He was like a little kid being dropped off in a candy shop, and being told "Just, go wild kid." He couldn't stand still for even a moment. Basically as soon as he placed a foot in the plane, he wanted to jump up and down with joy and run through the exteriors. He wanted to flip his lid and go crazy. This was an amazing moment for the teenager.

Unfortunately, Artemis noticed this facial expression of sheer joy going across his son's face. And while it did pain him to tell his son, "You're going to have to be strapped in while we take off," it was the truth, and Fowl only did it because he really cared for his son's safety.

Apollo gave a off a frown that looked like a bird shit on him.

On the bright side, Holly added, "However, when we're in autopilot you may do as you like."

His face lit up like a fire cracker on the fourth of July. So Apollo strapped himself in, and basically waited for that moment to explode. The excitement kept building and building as the airplane got higher and higher. And when the entire plane was covered in the thick layer of fog in the atmosphere, Holly turned around from her chair with a big smirk, and proclaimed "Now you can go berserk."

And Apollo proceeded to do so for the rest of the plane ride to the manor. He went up and down the aisle with amazing speed. He opened up millions of cabinets and gave off a shriek of joy when he'd see something amazing (like say, a personal fountain drink machine under the freaking sink,) and would proceed to fiddle with it. He'd flip on hand light switches and would open and close random doors for minutes upon minutes. And while he did this, a giant grin of joyful fun was ever so presence across his face. He was enjoying everything.

But the best was yet to come.

When the plane touched down in the Dublin international airport, the stairs began rolling themselves out onto the tar mat. When the doors opened, Holly and Artemis removed themselves from their seats, and walked over to the opening. "Let's go," Holly declared to Apollo. Apollo stood up, went to the back to grab his luggage. Once he grabbed "Betsy," He walked towards the stairs which lead outside to the Dublin airport. Suddenly, Apollo felt a sharp pain searing through his skull. His eyes were adjusting from the dim yet rather elegant lighting of the private jet, to the vastly bright, wild, and smog filled habitat of an airport. His hands covered his eyes for a moment, as pain raged from his skull. He groaned out of annoyance. After a while, the headache began to drift away, and he removed his palm from his eyes, and let the natural adjustment of his pupils take place.

Then, when his eyes became fully focused, he stared. His mouth went dry, his iris dilated, and his heart beat sped up to twice its regular beats.

_She. Was. GORGEOUS!_ No, wait. Gorgeous wasn't good enough. _Amazing? _No. maybe _spectacular? _Apollo couldn't decide. Words would never be able to describe this woman beauty she was defiantly alluring, and made Apollo mad with love. She had to be a goddess from the heavens above, who came here to this planet in human form for all the people to gaze upon, so that the human race would now fully know the definition of a woman.

She was around 5'9; (making her rather large to Apollo, for he was 5'8) she had long curly red hair that was about 2 and a half feet in length. Her skin was rather pale, but her complexion was still, simply perfect; brilliant actually. There was not one blemish upon her perfect milky white skin. She wore a white button up t-shirt, which was rather strange for a woman who looked so young to wear, but it suited her just fine. Her sleeves were rolled up, showing that she seemed to have a rebellious outlook. And completing her outfit was a very fine, and very silky smooth skirt, which ended just around the top of her knees. And thank god it did, for since the skit did end somewhat short, it revealed her finely tuned, lengthy, very beautiful stork-like legs. Somewhere in the back of his head, Apollo could swear that he heard ZZ Top's "Legs" playing. She was rather skinny, but her presence and the way she stood, with one hand on her hip and another hand by the side of her black skirt, showed that she was a very strong woman. It made her look like she was not to be trifled with, and that she could handle herself in any situation.

Standing beside this woman, was a taller, slightly aged, blonde headed, and very elegant lady. She was pretty, but comparing her beauty to that of the red headed angle which stood beside her, was kind of like comparing a DVD Player to a digital Blu Ray player; both are very useful, but it's a no brainier. Strangely, this woman had the same presence as the woman beside her; strong, powerful, and showed that these women were not to be messed with. Apollo wondered why they seemed like that.

Then, the most wonderful and most terrifying thing to ever happen in Apollo's life began. It was wonderful, for he could get to study this wonderful stranger's presence up close, and it was terrifying, because it meant that Apollo may actually have to talk to this lady, and he feared of what would come out of his mouth. These two women, were getting closer, and were preparing to meet them at the bottom of the aircraft.

Apollo's brain came up with a simple, yet unreasonable decision. _Don't move. _He simply thought. _If I don't move from these stairs, then I don't have to get closer to this beautiful girl. Thus, I can light a match to start the fire, and possibly get myself burned in humiliation. _

Of course, Artemis had to ruin that. All the grown genius had to do was place a hand on Apollo shoulders and tell him, "Well son; don't just stand there. Let's go." And Apollo's fear came rushing back. The teenager made slow and peaceful steps down the leer Jet, and as he got closer and closer, Apollo silently prayed to God that he wouldn't embarrass himself.

When they finally reached the end of the leer jet stairs, the blonde head women held out her hands in and embrace, asking for a hug. Both Artemis and Holly did so.

"It's so good to see you guys again," The woman replied as she embraced the both of them.

"It's great to see you too, Juliet." Holly replied.

Juliet let go of Holly Short and then focused her attention to Apollo. Her face lit up with a smile. "And this here must be your son." Juliet proclaimed, as she leaned over a bit and gripped Apollo in a very tight hug. It was almost too tight, and Apollo feared that he might have lost circulation. Apollo noticed while Juliet was hugging him, that there was on her hip bone, a small Sig Sauer Pistol. When Juliet let go, Apollo noticed that this blonde headed woman seemed to be very excited. "Oh My God, you've grown up to be quite the lad."Juliet proclaimed. Then she raised her fingers, and held her thumb and index finger only millimeters apart. "I remember you when you were only this big." Juliet stated.

"Juliet was around and helped with your birth." Holly explained. "She would babysit you from time to time."

"God, you were such the cutest thing." Juliet declared. Then, she motioned her hand towards the red head goddess. "And let me introduce you to my daughter, Melinda." Juliet proclaimed.

Apollo's eyes widen to the size of saucers. _Did she just say daughter? _Apollo thought. He also noticed that Melinda had on her hipbone a gun as well. Apollo could now see some resemblance with the gun attached. As this red headed beauty shook the hands of both the father and the mother, and hugs were exchanged, Apollo thought about how it was strange and yet so incredibly noticeable that this beautiful mistress and this lovely blonde headed girl were related. Then the red headed lady held out her hand for Apollo to shake. Apollo was so nervous and fidgety that he almost exploded at that moment. He slowly gave out his hand and with nerves and suspension at its peak Apollo nervously stuttered, "-h-hi…I-i-i-I'm Apollo."

Melinda laughed at this. Her laughter was the most beautiful sound Apollo ever heard. "God, you are such a shy thing." Melinda greeted. Apollo never thought he could blush this hard in his life. As Melinda let go of Apollo's hand, she commented, "Apollo huh? So you're mister lightning boy."

Apollo's face suddenly broke. His jaw dropped and his eyes widened. He turned to his father with blazing fury. It looked like the teenager was going to have an aneurism.

"YOU TOLD HER?" Apollo screamed.

"Relax," Melinda proclaimed. "I'd be pretty damn proud of myself if I had those powers."

Apollo turned his face towards Melinda. He was awestruck, and wasn't sure he heard her correctly. "Really?" he asked like a puppy.

"Of course, sugar." Melinda commented.

Apollo's ears perked up. His expression was that of a spellbound, flabbergasted, excitement and awestruck. Never before in his life, had a woman called him sugar. In fact, the only words that a woman ever said to him came from the spiked tongues of his fellow freshmen girls, who called him a freak and a weirdo just because he had pointed ears and listened to Led Zepplin.

"She was born and raised in Texas," Juliet commented; as if to explain her strange fondnest and comfort of speaking. "She lives here now due to the divorce.

"As far as I'm concerned, I'm a true blooded Texas cowgirl." Melinda proclaimed.

"And to answer your question earlier," Fowl began, "I only told Juliet, she must have told Melinda. But that's beside the point. There's something that I should tell you. Son, Juliet Butler is, as you know, a butler. And Butler's as you know, are trained bodyguards. When Domovoi left us, Juliet became my bodyguard. As part of the Fowl and Butler tradition, a new Butler bodyguard will be added to every generation of Fowl. And since Juliet has filled in for her brother…well….son, I think I'm basically saying that Melinda here is now your bodyguard."

"And thank God you have lightning powers," Melinda commented. "That's going to make this job a little bit easier for me."

And Apollo turned and looked at this moment, with all the same feeling that he had before when he first saw, but this time, they were extended beyond belief. Never before in his life, did Apollo think he could get so turned on. Apollo, was very aroused that the fact that this goddess among mere mortals, was a bodyguard. Not that Apollo was into sick, sexual, S&M shit; but there was something about a woman, who knows how to lock and load a rifle, and how this beautiful, slim, red headed Texan, could easily grab a hold of his throat, break his fucking trachea, flip him, and hold him on the ground while placing a rifle to his head, that was so damn sexy.

And Artemis couldn't disagree with the fact, that a badass woman couldn't get him worked up as well. After all, he married Holly Short of all people. The first woman on Recon, the most badass elf woman ever, was his wife. Maybe it was genetics, but for some reason, the Fowl's were easily turned on by strong willed, powerful women.

At this point, a curious question popped into his mind. "So is she right now, at this moment, my bodyguard."

"Yes and no." Artemis replied. Juliet walked over and extended her palm to Artemis. "Yes, because she is your bodyguard from this moment on; No, because Melinda and Juliet have a little job to do, and they won't be there in the manor when we arrive." Artemis then reached into his pocket, and pulled out a very large key. "You know the drill; put the plane in hanger 23, and for God's sake, don't run into the door."

"It was one time, and I was only 15." Juliet proclaimed. "The plane was paid off years ago, and yet you still hold me to that. Jesus, Fowl. Learn to forgive and forget." And with that, Fowl dropped the key into her palm, and Juliet directed her daughter to follow her.

As Juliet began to walk up the steps, Holly and Artemis gave their child a strange look. It Apollo immediate recognize this look, knowing that it was time for them to get in the Bentley. Apollo and his parents started walking forwards. Something kept playing through Apollo's head as the teenager got closer towards the car, "She called me sugar." He mumbled to himself as he placed "Betsy" in the trunk

"What was that?" Holly asked.

Apollo immediately looked up, red flushed with embarrassment, hoping to God that Holly didn't hear him. "Oh, nothing." Apollo quickly replied.

Holly shrugged this off and didn't think once more of it. For Apollo however, they way Melinda called him _sugar;_ it just kept replaying in his mind like a record getting stuck.

_And speaking of records…._Apollo deviously thought as he entered the Bentley. The first thing that Apollo searched for was that IPod player that had been for told to the young lad. And he immediately found it, shinning in all of its glory, right on the dashboard. Apollo immediately pulled out his clever device that was attached to him by heart. He placed the metallic object on the player, and selected the playlist to his liking.

"Artemis," Apollo said with an evil grin, "Get ready to have your mind blown."

* * *

Possibly, for the first time in Artemis's life, the genius was confused.

Artemis correctly assumed that most of the music that Apollo was going to play would be earsplitting, face-melting, hardcore punk and metal that sounded like it came from the nightmares of both snot nosed teenagers, and survivors of Hiroshima. And, that was true. Apollo's face got a little more devious with every song. It began with "Hybrid moments," which was a punk rock song that was very much the Meat and Potatoes of what Punk was and should be. And then it ranged on from alternative rock anthems like "Smells like teen spirit," which clearly defined a generation.

Artemis also correctly assumed that the songs that Apollo would play for him would be very simple and almost generic. Three or four chords were all it took for anyone to master these songs he was listening to. (A shame really. If Apollo could read minds, he would have immediately switched to Led Zepplin's 'stairway to heaven.' Which was not a simple song in the least, and was anything but generic.)

And at the same time, even though these songs that Apollo was currently playing annoyed Fowl with their simplicity…..in a strange sort of way…they were bold. They were almost daring. To Artemis, it almost reminded him of Shakespeare. Not in the musical since, heavens no. Shakespeare was a little bit more literate and complicated than a punk rock song. But for some reason, Artemis really thought that these songs….were powerful. They seemed to have a sense of nonconformity and boldness about them, sort of like how Shakespeare's _Romeo and Juliet _was bold and daring, for it depicted premarital sex among teenagers; _WAY _before that was in the "norm."

For example, the song that was currently playing was "Beat on the Brat," by _The Ramones, _and Artemis almost felt like there were two sides of this argument, and that there were two different voices in his head.

The first voice: _*snobbish* are you kidding? That's only three chords, and the singer sounds like he has meningitis. _

The second voice: _*surprised and shocked.*WHOA! Wait a minute. BEAT ON THE BRAT? With a BASEBALL BAT? You can't say that in a song!_

But _The Ramones _could, and they did. And that's why Apollo loved punk. He loved other forms of music too. And if he had to choose, bands like Pink Floyd and Radiohead would be in his top five, making classic and alternative rock his top 2 favorite genres of music. But Punk was always right there with them. For him, Punk was the type of music to play when pissed. Punk would fuel his hatred and anger, and would cleanse it as well. Punk rock was about finding the rule book, ripping the pages and making your own rules. And that was why Apollo was in the back, jamming along to this song, with an air guitar.

Once the song was finished, Artemis thought that he could finally rest. He was wrong. Out of nowhere, there was a giant guitar pig squeal. It was high pitched and almost choppy. And strangely, it was also swingy and wavy. Apollo immediately recognized this, as Tom Morrello's opening riffed to the Rage against the Machine song, "Year of the Boomerang." Apollo was getting ready to let loose, and rap out the lyrics about America's absence over Africa's health crises.

But at that moment, Artemis was finally tired of the music, and with a long pianist finger, he paused the song.

"Aw, c'mon!" Apollo whined without reserve. He sounded like an eight year old child. "And it was just getting to the good part."

"I've had enough of this so called music." Artemis declared. "And if you think that this garbage was going to meet my musical standards of "good," than you were sorely mistaking my fair child." Artemis than handed the device back to the frustrated Apollo.

"I'll admit this," Apollo declared as he prepared to place the IPod back into his pocket. "When I first heard this song, I was a little annoyed by the opening riff as well. But now, I consider it, besides Township Rebellion, as Tom Morrello's greatest work with R.A.T. M. I mean, think about it. The only way he could achieve such a sound is with the whammy pedal, and even with a whammy pedal, the sound would be out of tune and missed place. So Tom had to go into the studio every day, finding the right frets to hit while keeping the whammy pedal pushing back in forth. It may sound easy, but trust me, it's very hard."

"Whether the song is a challenge to a guitarist or not, I'm still finished with the music, and I'm tired of music, and I want to relax." Artemis commented.

"But music keep's _me _relaxed!" Apollo exclaimed. Running out of options, he single handedly did the weakest argument ever. "Mom," Apollo whined, asking for her help.

"While I did enjoy most of that music you were playing," Holly declared. "I think it's time to give the IPod a break."

"But IPod's are machines, they have no breaks!" Apollo announced.

"Besides that," Holly continued, as she ignored Apollo's comment. "We haven't even begun to do what we came here to do."

Apollo corked a brow. He was now extremely interested, yet annoyed at the same time. He was curios to what Holly may be thinking. "Such as?" Apollo asked.

Holly looked at her husband, and then looked at her son. Her eyes seemed to have an off distance look. "Well…..you know…..we missed out on twelve years of your life. And we asked you out here because we wanted to know you better, and to love more than we did. We want to become your parents, for real. But we can only achieve this by asking questions. And we are more than ready to. But the thing is, you've been silent since you announced Arty's nickname. It's been 12 years. Aren't you a little curious? Don't you have….like….questions?"

Apollo then began to ponder this. He brought and index finger to his lip, as he began to think deeply. The truth was, he was curios. And he had a multiple array of questions to ask. But which ones were the most important to him? Apollo really wanted to get the biggest questions he had, out in the opened, so that they may be answered quickly and that Apollo would immediate know his parents, and himself, a little more in depth.

Once three big questions appeared in his brain, he removed the index finger from his lips. "Yeah, I got questions." Apollo replied. "Three big ones to be exact."

"Fire away," Holly challenged her son.

"My First Question;" Apollo began. "I don't remember much about myself when I was three or younger. So, I guess my first question is: What was I like as a child?"

And without missing a beat, Artemis immediately declared, "A troublemaker."

* * *

_*Flashback*_

Artemis worried about his son all the time. He worried that 2 year old son had a bit of a too long attention span, and worried that Apollo might be developing autism. He worried that his son might have troubles walking in the future, seeing as how Apollo was 2, and could only walk for a few minutes at a time. He worried that Apollo might grow up angry. He worried that Apollo would not remember him.

And right now, at this moment in time, he worried about Apollo's safety. Why? Because the baby was missing!

Artemis was freaking out. His breathing was hyper ventilating. His heart beat was now twice its normal BPM. He was racing around the manor in a haze of fear and nervousness. Where was the baby? How could the baby have escaped his crib? Why would the baby escape his crib? For the first time ever, Fowl felt stupid. He had the lowest self esteem ever. How could he, Artemis Fowl, first and only human to discover the fairy race, misplace his own child?

Upon running through the hallways, he found an extra living room, which was one of the private sectors in the mansion. In this room, Holly was seated at a wooden table, drinking tea, and reading another Stephen King book, to which Holly was becoming dreadfully addicted to reading such books lately. Also in this room, Artemis discovered Melinda, Juliet's child. Melinda was seated on the floor, playing with Lego blocks and toy cars. Melinda was only at three at the time. And Artemis never thought that he would ask a three year old anything. But here he was, rushing up to the Melinda, with one burning question playing through his forehead.

"Hey, Melinda." Artemis asked, trying to look calm, but ended up looking crazy. "Have you seen Apollo anywhere?"

While Artemis's stance looked threatening and nervous, Melinda didn't pay one attention to it. After all, she was three. So, playing with the cars for a little bit, and creating slobber bubbles with her mouth as most kids were prone to do, she looked up at Artemis and asked "What?"

Artemis slapped himself in the face, and dragged his palm across it. At this point, the adult mastermind was so frustrated, he felt as if a blood vessel would burst in his head. Asking again, trying not to lose his cool, Artemis inquired, "Apollo, my son." He explained. "Have you seen my son?"

"…..yeah," the small Melinda replied, and afterwards, began making a ticking nose with her tongue and teeth.

While Artemis was slightly annoyed with the ticking sound, relief rushed over his body like a tidal wave. Artemis finally began to breath normally, and then placed a hand on Melinda's childhood shoulder. "Thank you Melinda. God Bless you." Arty exclaimed. Then he asked, "Where is my son, exactly?"

At this point, the baby began sticking her tongue out and blowing, causing the well known childish fart sound that many little kids did voluntarily, (and sometimes involuntarily.) Then, she looked up at Artemis, and replied, "The garage."

Artemis immediately stood up and proclaimed, "Oh, the garage. Thank you." As if the garage was a valid place for a child to be. It was when Artemis turned around, that something clicked in his consciousness. With the look of confusion and a somewhat hint of suspension, Artemis asked Melinda, "What exactly is Apollo doing in the garage?"

As if this were a normal conversation, Melinda proclaimed out of the blue, "Drawing."

Now Artemis was even more confused. Without a drawing utensil, one cannot draw. And a normal person would defiantly not choose this activity to perform in a garage. Artemis was very doubtful that Apollo got his hands on chalk, so that meant his son was drawing on something besides the concrete, and he was drawing with some unknown tool. So, taking the next logical question, Artemis asked. "What exactly is my son drawing on?"

And then, she said it.

"The car," Melinda replied.

"THE CAR?" Artemis screamed out of horror. This was something that no parent wanted to hear. With his heart beating as it were before, Artemis rushed down the hallway, and headed towards the garage

Now Holly wasn't really paying attention to the conversation that was acting out. She was quietly enjoying her book and tea. It was quiet. And after years of adventure with Artemis, she was finally happy that there was some quiet around the house. Of course, Fowl had to screw that up. For even though Holly was tuning in and out of the conversation between the Artemis and Melinda, she did hear, rather clearly, Artemis screaming "THE CAR?" When she dropped her book, she notice her husband running down the hallways. Confused, Holly immediately started running to catch up with her husband.

Artemis ran so fast that everything around him began to blend together like a still drying water painting. He made each turn down the hallways sharply and quickly. He ran with much speed, and fear fueled his running. As he made his way to the door which lead into the manor's garage, Artemis hoped that Melinda was wrong. He hoped and prayed that Melinda was just telling him a big fib, as kids were also prone to do. With paranoia over his car's safety, Artemis immediately opened the door.

His mouth dropped, and his throat cracked. The boy almost had a stroke.

Apollo somehow and in some way, found a perfect utensil to draw on the car with. Artemis really should have been a little smarter, and just left the keys in the car, and not on the nail on the wall where he usually kept them. For Apollo now had the keys. And instead of turning on the car with the keys, he decided to _draw upon the car, _with the keys. On the running board of Artemis's trusted and very useful Bentley, was Apollo, the child from hell. Apollo must have had a lot of time to work on the car, sort of speak. For now, on the entire left side of the car, was a mural of flowers and bunnies that would have even made Picasso ask, "what the hell did he just draw." And with the added effect of the key scratches, these markings were almost permeated. What made things worse, was on the left side of the car, was Apollo's name, written horrible and spelled horrible. For one, both P's were backwards and two, he spelled it A-p-p-a-l-o-f-o-u-l.

Artemis wanted to scream. This…..rodeo clown, this monkey on acid, this drunken midget, had completely ruined his most trusted and most used car of over 10 years. His eyes grew wider and wider, and a vein in his head could easily be seen. Artemis really wanted to yell at him, but thought that by yelling at him would cause some mental scars and would permanently stop Apollo's artistic pursuit in the future. He did love his child, but right now, in this moment, His left eye reeled in dollar signs, flashing away like casino slot machines, And in his right eye, was an angle telling him no to yell.

Luckily, at this point, Holly finally caught up to her husband. Her eyes reeled in the image of the torn to shreds Bentley car was well. She looked at her husband, noticing that with each passing second; Arty looked as if though he would explode. She gasped at the sight of the demolished Bentley, which Apollo heard. The two year old Apollo turned around, and smiled so brightly, that it almost gave Artemis a heart attack.

Holly immediately rushed over and grabbed her two year old son's hand, noting that Artemis looked as if though he was about to scream. She quietly walked with her son, nervously smiling, trying to cover up the real world, to make her son unaware that Artemis was on the verge of erupting like a volcano.

"Oh dear. Come here Apollo," Holly proclaimed with a nervous smile. "Now, let's get out of here while your father quietly has a stroke."

And with that Holly lead the tiny Apollo out of the door, and slammed the door shut behind her.

Artemis's breathing began to growl like that of a beast. Artemis did a quick dash of his eyes, looking around the room trying to see if anyone was present in the garage. Noticing that he was the only soul in the tiny space, Artemis let go of his defenses. He then screamed and cried over his destroyed vehicle; falling upon it like one falls upon a loved one's grave.

* * *

*_present day.*_

Apollo felt as if though he couldn't stop laughing. When his father explained this story to him, Apollo laughed to the point where he felt like throwing up. "I ruined Professor Dickwad's car!" the teenage Apollo exclaimed with laughter raging through his voice. "Apollo one, Artemis zero." He then held up his hands, like a statue of Zeus. "Vengeance is mine, thus said the Lord!" Apollo shouted.

"Ha, ha, Ha," Artemis sarcastically laughed with a monotone. "Laugh it up now kid. Just wait till you have children and one of them does the exact same thing as you did to me. You'll be surprised at how angry you'll be."

Apollo continued to laugh for a couple of minutes. Finally, after a while, his laughter died down. He whipped his nose with his sleeve, (due to the snot bubbles that came abound during his laughing fit,) and quietly tried to calm himself down. When this was accomplished, Apollo exclaimed. "Alright, question two." Suddenly, Apollo seemed to get shy. "And this one is a tough one for me to ask."

Holly, with the deepest concern in her voice, turned to face her son, and asked, "What is it?"

Apollo looked down to the floor of the car. He was a little embarrassed to ask this question. However, it was a really significant one that he always wanted to ask ever since his adoptive mom made up the lie about a father who ran away. Now, faced with his real parents, this question popped up once more.

"Well…." Apollo began. "This was a question I always wanted to know ever since my mom told me this lie about her and a fake father who left us. Now, I'm here with my true parents, so this question will be answered with truth and honesty, I hope. And while the context of it is a little mature and embarrassing, I really feel like I should ask this. It's really important into developing an idea of who I really am. I want to know more about myself, so this question has always been on my mind."

"And what is this question?" Artemis asked.

Apollo face turned a shape of crimson. He felt like the words would never come out. But the truth was, he really wanted to ask this question, and the only thing that would be worse than not asking this question, would be trying to keep the words inside. The pressure almost made him feel like his appendix would burst.

"How was I conceived?" he asked.

Immediately, Fowl began to cough. It was like he was choking on his own wind. The fact was the question was so out of the blue, and so out of the ordinary, Fowl wasn't prepared to answer the question. In Fact, Artemis wasn't even aware that such a question would be asked. But it was not like Artemis was the only one shocked, Holly was too. But instead of coughing, she gasped. And her hand covered her mouth to keep her from screaming out of sheer surprise. The only one that wasn't surprised was Apollo. He knew that his parents would possibly over react, and he knew that they possibly weren't expecting such a question. But Apollo didn't give a damn. This was a question that to him, _needed _to be asked. Otherwise, he'd live for the rest of his life not knowing how he was made.

After a few minutes of tense anticipation, Artemis swallowed the little lump in his throat called 'pride,' and answered his son.

"Well," Artemis began. His face turned into an awkward flash of teeth. He really felt like answering this question was going to put himself into a dangerous conversational territory. "Your mother and I weren't exactly a normal couple. After all, she's and elf and I'm a human. It was about as weird of a relationship as it could get. However, we loved each other and we continue to do so day by day. The strange thing was, as abnormal of a couple we were…..uh…intercourse was very normal and serious between us. Neither of us had Kinks, and if we did, they were very small kinks that almost seemed adumbrate."

"Such as?" Apollo stated with a wicked smile and a cork of his brow. Normal kids would be disgusted at the thought of a parent explaining their sex life. And Apollo was not an exception. It disgusted him as well, to the point where the poor teenager almost felt like vomiting. However, Apollo knew that his dad was not liking this conversation more than he was, so the sight of his dad writhing in an awkward stance made him smile in evil delight. This was pure torture to Fowl, and Apollo knew it. So trying to keep the torture wheel going, Apollo asked the question.

Fowl tried to keep it inside. He ran through every verbal tactic in his head that he could possibly use to disarm the conversation. Still, there was no such luck. Whether Fowl liked it or not, he was going to tell his son about his kinks. Why couldn't Fowl just lie, you may ask. Artemis had learned over the years, that lying, while it may serve a useful propose at the time, would only come back to haunt you and every conceivable and imaginable way possible. So truth, honesty, and pure openness is always the correct and right answer. Is truth the easiest answer, no. But it's the right answer, and that's what counts.

"….finger sucking." Fowl mumbled incoherently.

Apollo gagged, and laughed at the same time. Wanting to antagonize his father just a bit more, he cupped one hand around his ear, and made a sarcastic 'what was that' face. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that." Apollo laughed.

This time, Fowl's reaction was a little bit harsher. He turned around facing his son briefly, and while he didn't yell, he defiantly spoke in a manner that got his point across. "I said finger sucking, all right! May we please move on?"

Apollo gave off a slight groan in disappointment. He was really hoping to milk this agonizing conversation for what it was worth. But, with all of his speaking attacks now disarmed, all Apollo could do was sit back and let Artemis finish the statement.

"As I was saying," Artemis continued, realizing for a very bleak moment, 'why the fuck am I continuing this torture on me,' "Me and Holly, while the subject of our relationship is abnormal, are coatis is normal." At this point, Artemis grew and off distance look, as if of remembrance. "Then one night…Holly wanted to experiment."

* * *

_*Flashback.*_

Artemis looked up from her chest after kissing her naked sternum politely. Her face provided a soft and warming smile that would melt the hearts of millions. Artemis's face, on the other hand, was molded into that of shock and awe from the comment she just made seconds ago. It wasn't a large kink. In fact, by normal standards, this little request was nothing more than just a pinch of salt to spice up the bedroom. However, Fowl thought that she was happy with the way things were in the bedroom. Why would she want to try something new? Besides that, he never tried this before and wondered how he would be able to adapt to this.

Holly smiled at her husband's face. The look was priceless. Eyes wide, and face agape in surprise, Artemis looked like he didn't understood what she just said. In fact, Artemis wasn't quite sure he heard his wife correctly.

"What did you say?" Artemis asked surprise.

Holly chuckle lightly under him. He seemed completely surprised. After the initial laughter, Holly stared into her husband's eyes. She could get lost in them easily. Shaking off the small hypnosis she received from those mismatched eyes, she retold him what she said earlier.

"Music." She commented. Then, she lidded he eyes and spoke in that tone that Artemis was so accustomed to hearing the bedroom. "I think that a little music in the background will really get me in the-"

Holly was cut off with a finger to the lips. Arty's index finger placed itself just on the tips, shushing her. His eyes close and he shook his head. Cleary, he caught her comment, and wanted to explain something to her before she reeled him in with her ability to pull on Artemis's heart strings.

"No, no, no" Artemis aoristically repeated several times. "I did hear you say music, but may you please explain what genre you listed."

Holly now furrowed her brows, and her eyes were no longer lidded in seduction, but in annoyance. These were the types of moments were Holly really wished that Artemis was poor; at least then he wouldn't have this self important snobbish attitude. "Rock and roll." She replied with a monotone. She then groaned and began to give off a rant. "I swear Artemis, can you enjoy a little bit of something you aren't all ready accustomed to. So it's not Beethoven or Mozart. So what! It's only music, and I want to try it."

Artemis at this point was now at the side of the bed. He ran his hands through his hair. Holly anticipated his answer, and held the pillow to her chest, clutching it tightly. Artemis looked a little discouraged. And when he turned around, it was evident that whatever his answer was, it pained him to say it.

"Holly, I love you." He began. "But I can't perform intercourse with you while there's rock music in the background."

Holly really wanted Arty to come to bed with her. All she wanted was a little drabbling of music added with their usual nightly romps. Trying her hardest to bring him into her desires, she gave off a playful pout on her lips, and whined without any reserve. "Artemis, please?"

"Hear me out, Holly." He asked politely. "My classical music, while not very popular with the culture today, is real art. These composers that I keep true to my heart and even imitate in some extreme circumstances, worked their whole lives to achieve their goals, in a time where goals were not easily followed. Rock musicians? Their Grammy's are literally handed to them up front on the first day of work. All anyone has to do to be a rock and roll legend, is to have the popular clothes at the time, have a pretty face, and sing songs about women. Holly, I love you so much, and you are so dear to me. But, I cannot, I will not, make love to you while the music of drug addicted, illiterate, destructive, sexual deviants is playing in the background."

At this point, Holly was now straight up pissed. Whether he liked it or not, there was going to be music. So pulling out the secret weapon, she threatened him with an ageless argument that always works. "Artemis, if you can either do me with music or don't do me with music. Either way, there's going to be music. So now it's a matter of how much you want sex. So you're either going to listen to the music and fuck me, or don't fuck me at all."

Immediately, Artemis changed his decisions, and obeyed his girlfriend like a puppy dog. "Yes dear," he replied. And with that, Holly reached out for the night stand and turned on her IPod.

* * *

_*present day*_

Apollo's eyes widen to saucers. He was completely astonished. A part of him felt sick. After all, his parents had just got done explaining to him about one of their love sessions. However, the other half of him was, interested. Not that he wanted to go deeper and more in depth into this conversation. As far As Apollo was concerned, the conversation was over. But, there was something about the context with the songs. Apollo looked down onto his IPod with shame.

"So that was your first time you heard Rock And roll music." Apollo inquired looking down.

Artemis looked at his wife with a lot of love and care. She looked back at him with a warm hearted smile. They both were in love still, and were both glad that they decided to try something new that one fateful night. So sighing with memory, Artemis replied happily, "Yes."

Apollo chuckled for a little bit. "Guess that means my IPod was a little redundant, huh?" Apollo placed the IPod back in his pocket. Then he looked up, and asked the sub question that Apollo wanted to know, for it dealt with his conception. "What songs were used?"

Artemis and Holly looked at each other with a surprised look on their face. None of them were expecting that question. And the problem was that it had been so long ago, that they barley remembered all the songs that were used. After looking at each other for a little while, Artemis and Holly began to ponder that night long ago; not for good times, but because they had a question to answer, and that answer seemed to be eluding them. But as they kept thinking back, the songs started to get clearer.

"Well…." Holly began. "I think the first song was 'Fame' by David Bowe. That's Arty's only favorite rock artist, so I had to choose him."

"Quite the chameleon." Artemis commented. And after stating this, he began to add his two cents. "And then…I think two more songs were played, but I forgot them completely. Pardon me for this. However, I do remember that 'Burning down the house,' By the Talking Heads, began somewhere around the fifth song."

_a definate forepaly song, _Apollo thought.

"After that," Holly stated. "I think it was 'Hey Joe' by Jimi Hendrix."

"Apollo," Artemis proclaimed. "We can talk about this for a numerous amount of time, but I think there will only be one song that will spike interest with you."

Apollo leaned in close, trying to hear what his biological father was about to say. Fowl almost felt embarrassed to say this, but it needed to be said, knowing that this moment with this song that was in his head would spark a great deal of interest indeed. So, with is cheeks a bright crimson, Artemis let it fly.

"Ahem, well….the 'climax' of the day, as it were; if you catch my drift, was around the fifth minute and 31st second of the song 'Time,' by Pink Floyd. the….uh…ahem….'feeling' started, around that point and time. And almost 8 seconds later, you were conceived."

Apollo cocked his brow. "Why did you look this up?" he asked.

Artemis only smiled. "When Holly announced that she was pregnant with you, I decided to look back and see if there was anything significantly important in case of any possible stories in the future. If you have the song on you multiple media player device, please look up the time frame I just spoke about."

Apollo reached for his IPod in his jeans pocket, deciding that there must have been something big surrounded that song. Apollo, immediately turned on his IPod, and found the Pink Floyd section with ease, (For Pink Floyd was his favorite band). Already knowing the album, Apollo selected Dark Side of the Moon, and selected 'Time.' Using High speed scrubbing Apollo found this point of the song, and listened.

His face immediately brightened with an over the top smile.

"Holy Shit!" Apollo exclaimed. "You mean to tell me that as soon as David Gilmore finished the lyric 'the time is gone/ the song is over/ thought I'd something more to say,' I was born!"

Artemis had a deep smile on his face when he answered. "Yes," Fowl proclaimed honestly.

"….OH MY GOD! THAT'S LIKE THE MOST AWESOME THING EVER!" Apollo exclaimed.

Artemis smiled to himself. He knew that Apollo would be excited to know this. And he continued to drive as Apollo got excited over this small little nerdy factoid. After a few more seconds, Apollo finally calmed down. Straightening himself, he asked his final question.

"Okay, Last Question." Apollo announced. "Now, I know about Holly's parents, so this question isn't really directed to her." Apollo explained. "I just really wanted to know, what are grandpa and grandma going to think of me?"

Suddenly, silence filled the air. It was like a death _thump_ went through the cabin space once Apollo announced his question. Artemis seemed to be acting calm, but from the look of how Holly hissed and rubbed the back of her neck, Apollo could see that this question must have been asked before, with horrible outcomes. He could tell that Artemis was trying to hold back something.

Without even looking in the rearview mirror, Artemis replied, "They would be proud of you."

While Apollo was somewhat happy knowing that he wouldn't experience trouble form the grandparents, this was not the reaction he was expecting to here. For one thing, Apollo was expecting for the grandparents to be pissed off. But the important thing was how Artemis said it. He said it with the deepest look in his eyes. And why would he use it in a past tense.

"Would?" Apollo asked.

Suddenly, the car began to slow.

Apollo looked out of his windows and saw that they were on a small two lane road, and that they were surrounded by the vast Greenland of Ireland. However, on the left side, Apollo could see the ocean in clear view, since they were near the shore.

The car finally stopped on the side of the road. Something was wrong. And Apollo feared that it had to do with what he said. Artemis looked collective, but he had this strange look as if something bad was coming off his aura. Artemis slowly and calmly exited the vehicle. He slammed the door behind him. He went out and touched some rocks that were on the side of the road, and tossed them around in his hands for a bit, as if to study them.

Then he flipped, and started throwing rocks towards the ocean with such fury and anger.

"Oh shit," Holly moaned in such a manner as if she had seen this times before.

She unbuckled her seatbelt and exited the car. Apollo was now more confused than ever. Watching, he noticed that Holly went up to Artemis, who was throwing rocks like an insane political protestor, and placed him on his right shoulder. Suddenly, It seemed as if though Artemis tripped. For one minute, he was up and throwing rocks, and as soon as Holly laced her hands upon him, the prodigy fell like a ton of bricks. Apollo leaned upwards in the car to get a better angle. He could see Artemis on the ground, knees curled up to his chest, head tucked between his arms, and he was crying. Apollo had to know what was going on. Slowly, Apollo rolled downed the windows, and the vicous and brutal sounds of his father crying filled his ears.

"It's not your fault." Holly proclaimed.

"Yes it is!" Artemis shouted. "I'm a failure. I don't get it! It's cancer! It's not rocket science! It's not an alternative fuel source! It's cancer! I should have been able to handle it, but I couldn't! I can escape a time field, but I can't fucking cure cancer? I'm a failure!"

At this moment, Artemis felt a presence near him. Apollo had exited the vehicle and went to his dad, and set beside him. He watched the tides of the ocean roll back and forth far away from them. Ironically, at this moment if he were to check his IPod, he would have noticed that it was on shuffle, and that Pink Floyd's 'breath' was playing its famous last lines.

'_Long you live/ high you'll fly/but only if you ride the tide/ balance on the biggest wave/ a race towards an early grave.' _

Apollo didn't really want to talk. He learned from years of hardship that he usually didn't want people to talk to him when he was having a breakdown, but all he wanted was a presence. And so that's what Apollo was, a presence in this time of storm. Just another face in the crowd. Or so it seemed.

"So my grandparents died of cancer," Apollo concluded.

Wiping away the tears from his eyes, Artemis replied sniffling, "Yes."

A strange silence fell between the two. They continued to look out to see. Even Holly at this point, decided to sit down by her husband and just watch the waves. With Apollo having the fear of awkward silences, he decided to ask one more important question; one that he felt was right to ask.

"Are _you _proud of me?" Apollo asked his father.

Artemis turned to look at his son. His eyes were red and bloodshot. He slowly grew a smile, and those bloodshot eyes, turned from sadness to joy. With the scratchy throat, due to his earlier crying, Artemis replied happily, "Yes, I am. But I want to know you more so that I can be truly proud of you. I could tell you all day that I am proud of you, but I want to be truly honest when I saw this, and the only way I can do this, is if I know you more. And that's why I have you here, and I hope you understand."

Apollo patted his father on the back, truly understanding why his father felt this way. And trying to help his father, and mother, Apollo offered this piece of information.

"In order to truly know who I really am, you first must know what I want to be remembered as." Apollo stated.

"And what's that?" Holly asked.

Apollo grew a smile as he said this. He fully knew who he truly was, and would expose himself to those who wanted to see it. Apollo was the type of person who basically said, 'here I am, and if you don't like it, tough shit.' But how he wanted to be remembered, was somewhat different.

"I want to be remembered as the guy who got put up on that pedestal for a couple of times to shine, and he got some hits and some misses, but those misses were just as cool as his hits. Why? Because every time he swung, he would always put all his effort into it, and would swing for the fences. So whether he got a hit or miss, it was really cool to watch him because he'd try so hard to get his point across, so he'd swing hard. Not necessarily graceful, but really hard. Lazy people can be graceful, and I don't want to be remembered as Lazy. I want to be remembered as a guy, who worked his hardest on everything, and it didn't matter if his newest record or movie was a hit or miss. It was evident that he tried his hardest no matter what."

And with that, Artemis placed his hand on his sons shoulder. "Then I am most defiantly proud of you. Let's continue home, shall we?"

And with a smile on his face wider than twenty interstate freeways in a row, Apollo replied, "Aye, Professor Dickwad."

**So, yeah. This is probably my longest chapter to date. And I'm sorry that this chapter is so long, and I've still haven't managed to reveal the main plot. Don't worry. The next chapter will contain this, I assure you. Thank you to all those who have read this all the way through. And I would just like to say MERRY CHRISTMAS, and a happy new year.**

**As a Christmas Present, I've uploaded three video for you all on my YouTube channle. one is my rendition of Wire's Ex Lion Tamer. the video is called one man band since i am the only one playing all the instruments. the second one, is called amazing drummer, and i think it truly is some of my greatest drumming...yet. the third video, i'm not sure if it's been uploaded yet, but it's me on my acoustic playing "White Christmas."**

**PLEASE REVIEW**

**Next time: Julius's return. **


	8. Reality bites

**Hey everyone. Here's another chapter. I'm actually updating faster since I'm in the middle of Christmas break. However, I got other stories to attend to and a girlfriend as well. I hope that this chapter is a little shorter, and give you an idea of what Apollo is about to face. And if your reading this Saturday the 25****th****, MERRY CHRISTMAS! **

**Song: Glass Onion. By: The Beatles.**

**And yes, the quote makes absolutely no sense to the plot, but I'm running out of comedic quotes, so bear with me here.**

"_Kids don't know the rules. You'd think they'd wake up one day and go, "okay, I know what not to do now," but they don't. it's the same thing day in and day out. I mean, how many time do I have to repeat, "Close the door!"_

_Denis Leary. (again.)_

* * *

"So, what's the manor like?" Apollo asked nonchalantly.

The car was now very close to its destination. Artemis was now at the point where he could literally count the seconds away. The main gate only looked like wires since they were so far, but with each passing second, the thin wires started to become heavy, and soon the sight was replaced with metal bars. On the horizon, the towers came into view. With a sense of medieval power and with a mighty presence, the towers began to loom over view. These towers that stuck fear into the hearts of old generational enemies of the Fowls, gave Apollo a sense of awe. Holly replied to her son's question, while he watched them get closer to the gate.

"Oh, you'll love it." She stated happily. "The place is big, so you'll have a lot of room to run around. We got a music room filled with multiple instruments, so you'll never be bored. I'm sure that we can find an amp in the back room somewhere. We also have a massive book collection. There's also a spa room."

"There's also two gates which apparently have been broken in to." Artemis interrupted.

Holly and Apollo turned and faced forward. The car immediately stopped. Artemis exited the vehicle and very soon, Holly did as well. The main gates of the manor were ajar. And while this sight was seemingly nothing less than normal to Apollo, Holly and Artemis were both shocked and frighten. The main gates were always closed every day. They only opened upon command. And even afterwards, whether heading to or from the manor, the gates would always retract and stay closed until they are commanded once more. Artemis looked over on his left, and noticed that they key pad had been demolished. Sparks erupted from square hole where a white key pad once laid. This lead Arty to one simple conclusion; someone had tried to access the key panel, but couldn't get the password right. So in a fit of rage, they destroyed the key pad hoping that action would overrule technology. And apparently it worked, for the doors now were open.

Holly, fully thinking what Artemis was thinking, went into 'battle' mode. Her old recon instincts kicked into gear. First, she involuntarily grabbed at her hip bone for a neutro gun, only to find that it wasn't there. Afterwards, she slowly walked over to Artemis, who was in a state of agitation and anxiety, as he listed out loud the possible suspect who would commit such a crime. She placed her index finger on his lips, immediately shushing him. She flicked her eyes over to the car, and told him very discreetly, "Enter the car and drive in….slowly."

Artemis immediately obeyed his wife, and entered the vehicle on the driver's side. When Holly sat down in the passenger's seat, Apollo sounded off from the back.

"Family crises I presume." Apollo pondered with a sardonic smile.

"This is no laughing matter." Artemis replied sternly. "We believe someone has broken into the manor."

"And your evidence." Apollo exclaimed.

"The gates are wide open." Artemis proclaimed waving his hand towards the gates.

Apollo, being a teenager and a smart ass, corked a brow. "Wow. So our culprit is the wind. What did Mr. Wind steal this time; some leaves from the trees?"

Holly groaned. "Shame on you Apollo. That was a horrible joke. Not even snappy in the least."

Apollo shrugged his shoulders, agreeing with Holly's comment. "Yeah, I need to work on my act."

Without another word spoken, the car slowly passed the gates, and the family entered their own palace with much skepticism. Apollo was somewhat frustrated by the way his parents were acting so tense. To him, an open gate was no big deal, and for all they knew, the air might have been acting up.

Holly was the most focused out of all the three. She watched over every inch of the manor like how a cheetah stalks its prey. There was not one inch of grass that the overwhelmingly suspenseful, yet purely professional Holly, did not notice. The second most in tuned passenger, was the driver. Of course Artemis had to somewhat pay attention to his surroundings. He was driving after all.

But do you know who didn't have to pay attention to his surroundings; Apollo. Being a passenger, and not interested in the least of what was happening, Apollo was paying the least amount attention. And yet, he was the only passenger to catch the unbelievable sight to his left. He was simply daydreaming away, and would focus in and out on only a few surroundings that would vaguely catch his interest. There was a beautiful sculpture of the Greek goddess, Artemis, surrounded by a circle of hunting dogs, with a bow by her side. He also noticed a flower mural of Potnia Theron.

And most importantly, he noticed the garden behind the mural, with all its dirt parting, flowers torn from their roots, and the spherical hole in the middle.

"Do high fashion, upper class gardens usually come with giant man made holes?" Apollo sarcastically asked.

Artemis and Holly turned their heads towards the garden immediately. Their minds recoiled in horror at the dismantled vegetation. It looked as if thousands of different species of African animals were released upon the garden, and they brought their righteous fury with it. The giant hole in the middle made it look as if an alien craft of some sort beamed up this perfect mass. It seemed as if the earth just swallowed itself.

After a couple of seconds, Holly lost her transfixed daze of shock, and began to calm down. Artemis on the other hand, had his mouth gaped open, and his eyes welling up with tears. Then, he did the unthinkable. Artemis Fowl, out of pure emotional anguish, stepped out of the vehicle. This surprised Holly, for Artemis Fowl never did an action based off of pure emotion. It was always mind over matter for the Irish genius. But now, with the raw emotion of anguish and sadness, the tailored suit individual stepped out of the car with a hand over his mouth concealing his screams.

Holly immediately rushed out of the vehicle, wondering what the hell was wrong with her husband. Apollo did as well, only because he did not want to miss any of this sweet drama. Holly placed her hand on her husband's shoulder, who was currently on his knee's gripping the grass under him, as he cried over the destruction of his masterful garden.

"You okay?" Holly asked politely.

He looked up at her, and she was surprised. His eyes were now overflowing with tears, and some were beginning to stream down his cheeks.

"They destroyed it!" Artemis proclaimed as he voice somewhat cracked. "Years of back breaking labor by the Butler's; now it's ruined! My beautiful garden is now in shackles. Oh! Who would go do such a thing?"

"That would be me." A voice proclaimed quietly and cynically.

At this point, Artemis felt something press up against the back of his neck. It was cold, sharp, metallic, felt bitter to his skin, and was immediately recognizable. Artemis's heart beat rose at this small contact. Holly was in shock. Holly literally watched a gun appear out of nowhere, and place itself right on her husband's neck. Immediately, her instincts took over, and judging from the angle at which this gun was pointed, she turned towards the source and let loose and amazing punch that even Rocky would have been proud of.

Her fist collided solidly with some man's nose. The impact created a warm intense power feeling that went all around in Holly's insides. It felt good to be back, even if it was for a bleak second. The force of the impact caused this man's nose to bleed, assuming that the warm red liquid that trickled down her knuckles was blood, and that the cracking sound was this man's nose.

Apollo, who was completely stunned, saw that this man got punched in the face. He was now kneeling down towards the road in the manor driveway. This figure which Apollo had never met before clutched his face and moaned in pain as the blood continued to flow. The figure was slightly overweight. He was really small; super small. Apollo thought at first that his mom punched a minor. But as he studied this stranger a little more, he began to realize that it had to be a mythical creature. The stranger's head was extremely large, and he thought that his hair had a strange sense of obscurity behind it.

It wasn't until the stranger spoke that Holly realized that she had punch her annoyance of a friend; Mulch.

"What the hell Holly!" Mulch exclaimed with a strained voice as he plugged his nose. "It was just a joke. It's a fake gun with the orange tip blacked out."

Apollo's eyes widen, and he pointed at Mulch while looking at his mom. "You know this guy?" Apollo asked.

Holly, while somewhat astonished that she hurt a friend, settled with a smile as she watched this ex-con revel in hurt. "I really wished I didn't." Holly sarcastically exclaimed with a smile.

"Oh, come on now." Mulched wheezed out happily in pain. "You always do enjoy my jokes."

"Not when they threaten my husband's life." Holly exclaimed.

"It _wasn't _loaded!" Mulch exclaimed. "Gods Holly, you'd really think that I'd put the man that my boss has to see in a dangerous situation?"

"Your boss?" Artemis asked from the ground, intrigued.

"Yeah, it sucks working for someone else." Mulch stated. "I liked it better when I was on my own." Then, thinking he was in an action movie, Mulched pointed towards the door with the fake gun as gangsters in the movies were known to do. "He's right in there. We tried coming in this morning under the front gate, but unfortunately, that under wall of limestone kicked in, and I was full of crap."

"You always are." Holly said with a grin.

Mulch retorted with a laugh. "Anyways," Mulch described. "I couldn't make it. So he tried entering in the access code in your pad. We had a little incident, because the hacking technology wasn't compatible and the whole thing went all crazy and sparks started shooting out of it. . It was like the fourth of July. Luckily, the gate opened by itself and stayed open. We didn't want to pick the garden Artemis, but it was the only place that didn't have the bad stuff for my bowls of steel."

"Didn't you say that the limestone made you stomach feel congested?" Artemis inquired. "This makes you quote unquote "bowls of steel" claim invalid."

"Well," Mulch said with both a blush of embarrassment, and a smile of pride. "This is the part where I apologize and tell you that the stuff surrounding your garden isn't dirt."

Artemis mouth opened and released a gag. His whole body shuttered. "How?" Artemis proclaimed. "I thought the digestive system of a dwarf was only supposed to cover their tracks, not blow them all over the place."

Mulch turned his head towards Apollo. "Hey kid," he began. "Have you ever eaten a really nasty burrito, and you feel clogged up all day. And then, immediately, out of nowhere, the feeling hits you and it's basically like a bomb gone off in your bowls."

"That's why I don't eat at El Nopal." Apollo replied.

"Well," Mulch sighed as he turned to Fowl. "It was sort of like that. I went a little overboard with covering my tracks."

Artemis groveled in anger at Mulch. Artemis thought that he had found the true reason for the destruction of his precious garden. As the anger boiled inside him, Mulch gave off the shrug that was very closely accurate to the shrug of a two year old.

"Hey, don't blame me." Mulch stated. "Blame the boss. He's in there right now."

Artemis rose from the ground and brushed off his attire. He noticed vaguely that there were some grass stains. He groaned a little bit out of annoyance, but the ex-criminal mastermind had a lot more things to deal with. Case in point, there was some jackass in his manor that was to blame for the destruction of his garden. Artemis took long strides forward as he entered his own manor. His face was filled with determination. After shooting each other confused looks, Holly and Apollo followed Arty, with Mulch directly behind them.

Artemis entered the manor, and immediately noticed, that the stranger who was supposedly Mulch's boss, was on the main table to his right. His back was facing the door. It looked like he was struggling to either fix or dismantle something on the table. This was the man, responsible for the annihilation of his beloved and treasured garden for years.

Artemis, while infuriated, began his introduction with a simply strong statement, like….

"Who the hell do you think you are waltzing into my manor like this?" Artemis declared.

The figure turned and revealed what he had been operating on; a great bottle of blanc de noir champagne. Without warning, the stranger popped the cap open, and let the lid fly out. Artemis involuntarily ducked. And once he realized that the stranger had opened his precious bottle of champagne that he was saving for a good cause for celebration, Artemis was choleric, with his anger set ablaze.

"Hey, we were saving…." And that's when the stranger took off his hat, revealing his face. Artemis was stunned. "….that."

The stranger grew a smile that was both warming, prideful, and filled with surprise. After all, for as long as they knew, Holly and Arty had never seen Root smile.

"But today, I think that it's time to celebrate." Turning his face towards Holly, he said softly, "Hello Holly. It's great to see you again."

She rushed over to him and embraced him with a powerful hug, as she cried tears of joy.

* * *

Apollo was supremely fascinated by the interior of the house. Its spectacular design captured his attention the way music captured his imagination. It sparkled with a scintillating gold lust, and was flourished with decorative pieces of both modern and renaissance art. It had a huge spacing and so much room that he one could directly relate the main living room, or the dining room for that matter, to a huge football stadium. The place had a classical glow, with a glitter that made almost everything gold-like or very valuable. He sat in his chair, his mouth was opened with awe, and his eyes were getting a miraculous visual show just looking at the ceiling at the giant mural.

It was the Fowl coat of arms. The field contained a mixture of two colors, red and purple, with a tawny texture; thus symbolizing that the Fowl family was a royalty, with military fortitude, and a worthy ambition. The supports of the coat of arms were two dragons crawling up the shield, which meant that the Fowl family was a most valiant defender of its treasures, (and judging by all the wealthy objects just placed in one room, Apollo could see why.) On the shield of the coat of arms, was a gauntlet. This was a direct reminder that the Fowl activities were not always "legal," for a gauntlet on a coat of arms symbolized that the family was armed for the performance of handling a martial enterprise. Right Besides that, was a snake, which showed that the Fowl's were ones of most powerful wisdom. The last symbol was a lightning bolt, meaning that the Fowl family could handle any number of tasks with great efficiency, and would complete things by force if necessary. Stretching across the bottom of this coat of arms was the motto, "Aurum Est Potestas" ("Gold is Power.") The Crest of the coat contained an Owl, showing that the Fowls were Vigilant and had acute wisdom. The helm was a standard open helmet, which was always reserved for nobility. And the coronet was a marvelous king's crown, surrounded with what appeared to be acorns. Apollo studied this coat of arms with awe. He was spellbound.

He was brought back to reality, by the sound of a can opening, followed by the fizz of a carbonated beverage. He looked down in front of him to see his favorite soft drink, Mr. Pibb, being poured into a very fancy wine glass. The man holding the can was none other than Julius Root. Apollo had never seen Julius before in his life, but he could directly assume that this was an elf with a very hard and militant pass life. Somehow, it was with his eyes. Root seemed to have this strange thousand yard stare. Beyond that, his face seemed to have these wrinkles of frustration, which gave off this presentation of past conflicts.

Apollo looked up at Root, confused. This "root' fellow, seemed to be smiling. Once the pop was finished pouring out, he explained why. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you." Root exclaimed while holding out his hand for a handshake. "I brought you a 12 pack of your favorite drink, as a token of appreciation, hoping you'd later understand why we're here."

Apollo casually shook this man's hand, and then cocked his left brow. He did not know this man, and yet this man seemed to act as if he knew him his whole life. "How did you know that is my favorite can of pop?"

Root shrugged his shoulders, and gave off a wicked smile. "I and Mulch know many things about you. We know that your full legal name is Apollo M. Paradizzio, and that the M stands for Meredith, much to your dislike. We know that you have a 95 grade point average. We know that you absolutely despise math. We know that you've purchased a total of 995 dollars of _Beatles _merchandise; from Albums, to T-shirts, Coffee mugs and anything else in between. So knowing that your favorite drink is , is not that hard."

Apollo was frightened by how this stranger knew so much. He was also unaware as to why they knew this information. He thought to himself that they might have been stalking him for years, but decided not to come to that conclusion. Everyone was surprised, but Holly was the only one out of the three to voice he shock.

"How come you know so much about our son?" Holly asked Root. "And since when have you become so generous? The Root I knew was way more commanding and fierce."

"Well, technically I'm not the old Root." Julius explained.

"What?" Holly asked with much astonishment.

"I'm a clone." The new Root politely replied. "Number 6 in a series of 8."

"And yes Holly," Mulch replied as he used a tooth pick to clean his tombstone like teeth. "It scares the shit out of my as well that I know there are 8 Roots walking around the earth."

"Actually," Root chimed as he turned around to face Mulch. "I'm the only survivor out of the 8. The 5 before me died before they were release from the vats, and the 2 before me died of complications after their release."

"But I don't understand," Holly proclaimed as she ran her fingers through her hair. "The council banned cloning centuries ago."

"True," Root stated smug. "But that doesn't mean there isn't any room for 'secret projects.'" He said the last two words while quoting the air. And he had a strange indention in his voice with those words, as if he was trying to tell Holly that she knew what he was talking about.

She twitched her eyes as she tried really hard to think about those words. For some reason, it seemed that 'secret projects' had to be memorable, but the memories behind it kept eluding her. She thought about it really hard. She ran through every possible conversation in the past she could have had with the words 'secret project,' involve. Suddenly, her eyes narrowed. She fully remembered. Now she knew who was fully responsible for Root's returned. And honestly, she was kind of pissed that her friend never really told her what he was working on. "Fuckin centaur bastard." Holly muttered.

"What," Artemis asked his wife.

"A Long time ago, if I was ever on the phone with Foaly, he'd sometimes end our conversations short. When I asked him why, he said it was a secret project and that he couldn't tell me." Then she motioned her hands towards Root. "I just had no clue that, *this* was that project."

"But why would Foaly do something that's illegal?" Fowl asked. "As far as I'm concerned, that's completely out of his character. "

Mulch, who was in the back with two tissues in his nose to stop the bleeding, stood up with much excitement He had that same jokester swagger he had as his usual self, mixed with the supremely shocked attitude of bewildered friend. "Are you kidding me!" Mulch proclaimed. "Holly, did you ever want Julius Root back. Sure, he's a control freak, with very little regarded to naps and snacks, but that's not the point. The point is, no matter how demanded this prick was, we cared about Root and missed him. So Fowl, has it ever occurred to you for even a bleak second that the reason that Foaly did this, was out of pure friendship?"

Artemis looked at his feet with a saddened look. His self esteem had received a critical blow. And for the first time in a long time, Fowl really felt like an asshole. "I'm very sorry." Artemis apologized. He then looked up with a curious look upon his face. "But please tell me, why is it now, that you decided to come here? Is something wrong?"

Root bit his lip. The look of intensity and seriousness was plastered on perfectly, as if this was the reaction that he knew he'd provide. _It Was Time. _The moment had finally arrived. After months of investigation, and months of acquiring evidence, it was now time to present such evidence, to the only two people that could help them. He turned to Mulch and snapped his finger. Mulch replied by cocking his brow.

"What, you think I'm some kind of monkey?" Mulch replied like smart ass.

"Get the equipment." Root ordered harshly.

"Jeez, Fine." Mulch stated as he stood up and walked over to the computer. The computer flipped open and turned itself on. He grabbed the fake shaving can and unscrewed the lid. Once the films were out, he placed it on a special compartment. Suddenly, a giant blue light erupted from the computer. It went straight up, and the bits of light started to spread. Suddenly, pixels began forming themselves on top of the computer. It was like watching an image come together, and it reminded Apollo of a hologram. When the process was complete, an entire 3-d model of the picture was visible and in front of the audience. Root placed on a special glove, and walked over besides the model. It looked like a Goblin. It had all the necessary attributes of a goblin. But for some reason, Holy could swear that she saw a bit of elf in this creature.

"Marcus, Livingsworth." Root commented, giving the picture a name. He then clicked a button on the glove, and soon, a different object appeared. This time, it was clearly a dwarf. But he had the face of an elf. "Jonathan Kinsley." Root opened up another picture. It was of a demon, but he had gills on the side of his neck. It was like half demon and half fish. And due to its long hair and visible breast, obviously female. "Angelina Croxley." And then he pulled up the last picture. Apollo immediately recognized this person. The kid had light brown hair. He was rather tall. His legs were thick and his arms were skinny. And this kid was defiantly human. But Apollo knew he wasn't. This kid was in Apollo's science class back at school. This kid was assumed sick. This kid was none other than, Stanley Hibbins. And Root confirmed that when he announced, "Stanley Hibbins." Root then looked directly at his audience. He had a strange business man persona to his movements. "Now, what do these 4 being have in common?" Root asked.

"Assuming that they are just like Stanley," Artemis proclaimed. "I guess they are all hybrids."

"Correct," Root replied. "There's also another thing that they have in common." Root stated as he clicked another button on his glove. All four pictures were placed side by side. "Can anyone guess?" Root received silence. Not even Fowl himself had a reasonable estimation. "All right, I'll tell you." Root replied. And then, acting nonchalantly, as if it were no big deal, Root said something that would change their lives, forever.

"They've all disappeared the last three months."

A strong powerful wave of shock and dense despair flooded the room. Holly's, Artemis, and Apollo's jaws literally dropped. They were astonished. They had all the motives they needed. There was no need for any more visual aid, and Root could literally have just told them what they would see and they'd follow him.

But Root was not finished. Instead, he clicked a button and a large square filled. A tool bar appeared under the square. The square filled with dark colors and it wasn't long before the objects revealed themselves as the outside of a convenience store. At the very end of the tool bar, was the 'play' symbol. Root reached out with the glove, and clicked the video clip on. It showed a somewhat tall figure, obviously human, walking out of the convenience store.

"This is the last known video footage of Stanley Hibbins." Root explained. "He is the latest out of all the hybrids to disappear." Then the ex-commander began to narrate. "So Stanley grabs a cup of Joe and a donut. He's about to get in his car and go home. When out of nowhere…"

Suddenly, the figure on the screen began to thrash about. He threw punches at the thin air. It looked as if though Stanley was having a seizure. Suddenly, Stanley fell on the ground. His back arched and he opened his mouth and screamed in pain. Sparks flew from his shoulder. Suddenly, it seemed as if his leg began to dissolve with thin air. His whole body began to fade away. He rolled over on his side in agony, and then, he was gone. He had simply vanished.

The alarm that was in the room was astounding. The depression was tremendous. And of all the people to be smug at a time like this, it had to be Root. "Now I wonder what happened." Root sarcastically asked as he started to rewind the clip.

He stopped rewinding and immediately paused the clip. Apollo had to rapidly blink his eyes. He had to be dreaming. It was completely mind-boggling. When the clip was playing just a bit earlier, nothing was in sight except for the struggling Stanley. Now, 3 tiny figures were seen clear as day in this still clip. One of the figures appeared to have a cattle prod, and was harming the poor Stanley. The other two figures appeared to have what looked like a technologically advanced cloak. While Apollo was in shock, Artemis and Holly could now clearly see what was going on. Stanley was being kidnapped. And judging from the comments made by Root earlier, Artemis was able to solve the puzzle.

"So, it appears that all the hybrids around the world are being kidnapped." Artemis concluded. "And Apollo is apparently next in line."

"Yes," Root confirmed. "Luckily, you picked him up just in time and took him to the manor, so his safety, while a priority, is really not an issue at the moment."

Artemis brought both of his hands together. He tapped both of his index fingers against each other. He was now in his Zen state, as he thought more on the matter. "So, may I be correct to assume that all the Hybrids are going missing, but you have no possible Idea as to why, and who is kidnapping them, so you need my expert advice?"'

Root grew a viscously evil smile, slowly. "No!" He replied with righteousness. Fowl's eyes literally widen in panic. He couldn't believe this was happening. He was the great Artemis Fowl, and he was never wrong. "Never thought I'd say that, did you?" Root commented. Then, he walked over to the computer. "No, We know who and why," Root began. "But let us start with where."

He changed films on the computer. The process began all over again. He clicked a button on his glove, and a giant 3-d image of a building showed up. The building was surrounded by sand and mountains. It was obvious that it had to belong in desert. The building was _huge!_ The main structure was an extensive tower. And at the very tip top was a helipad. At the bottom of this tower, were four square buildings about two stories high. The very end corner's connected with the tower. The structure seemed to be some type of factory. Or maybe it was a large corporation work house.

"This is where we believe the Hybrids are being taken to." Root began as he rotated the image. "But everything about this structure is sketchy and very mysterious. For one thing, the exact location is unknown, but we have a very good estimation that it's in the Sahara Desert. And even with that in mind, were not even sure how to break in to the structure, or even if all the hybrids are being taken there."

He then walked over to the computer, and clicked a button. The continuous whirring sound that all computers make when running, suddenly vanished. The light faded away, and the computer was closed and shoved away. All the visual aids were finished with. Root took off the glove and laid it on the table. He walked over closer to his audience, who were now very focused. Their state of awareness had risen with every passing word. They were very, very intrigued, and were interested in what was going on.

"What we are absolute clear on is who is behind this and why they are. Let's first begin with the Why factor." Root then sat on the large table. "All hybrids have strange magical powers once they reach their puberty; as you all are probably aware of right now. What you're not aware of is this. Their powers, while needing magic, are completely under the influences of emotion. And, here's the real kicker." And to prove his point, Julius leaned in closer to add to dramatic effect. Artemis could smell the fungus cigar on his breath. "…they never run out of magic. That's right. _Never. _Sure, they lose it from time to time, but they can always get it back, without the need of the ritual. Imagine a well, that's been dried up for a while. All you have to do is keep digging till you hit water, right? Well, that's how hybrids work as well. The magic is always in there. All you have to do is give the hybrid an emotional upset. Emotions control their powers. So when their magic depletes, just either get the hybrid extremely mad, sad, happy, or whatever, and his magic comes back, filled to the brim."

Root got up to and started to pace, in full military fashion. "Why is this important? Well for one thing, Magic is power. So picture this. Five hybrids, placed in vats, with wires running through their veins and out the vats. These wires are connected to a generator powered by magic. This generator powers some of the largest cities in the world; such as New York, San Francisco, Alexandria Egypt, and so forth. And all you'd have to do is give each Hybrid a powerful pain, and they'd continue pumping magic. It's an endless, alternative power supply that is easy and simple to use, and environmentally friendly. And whoever who controls the Hybrids, controls the power. So basically, if one were to get all five hybrids and do this to them, they would rule the entire planet."

"….My Gods" Holly muttered to herself out of pure terrified amazement. It was so simple, yet so frightening.

"As for who….." Root continued. Then he got a strange look in his eyes. "Holly, Artemis, who else do we know that would want ultimate world domination more than anyone ever?"

Apollo immediately got this. He remembered all the stories that Holly told him while they were in New York. He remembered certain evil villains they encountered, but one major one in particular. He remembered how ever time she seemed to go away, she'd always reappear. Why should now be any different? This conclusion left Apollo not only surprised, but pissed as well.

"….OH MY GOD! DOES THAT FUCKING OPAL BITCH EVER JUST DIE?" Apollo screamed out of anger.

"Apparently not," Root proclaimed. "Cause she's back and we have a feeling that she's the reason the Hybrids are going missing."

Artemis leaned back in his chair. The information that he had taken in was very astonishing indeed. However, he kept a straight face on as he thought deeply on the information he was give. _So, Opal is back, _he thought. _She's returned from where ever she came from, and she plans on stealing the hybrids for world domination. _"I can see why you'd probably want our help with this matter." Artemis replied. "But doesn't this seem more like a job better suited for the L.E.P.? After all, even though we've dealt with Opal much more in the past than the L.E.P., they have a larger population of people who would help you, and Foaly is an excellent technical advisor. Why would you trade two, for two hundred?"

"We simply cannot trust anyone." Root answered with a monotone. "It appears that Opal has been trying to make secret deals with some anonymous members of the council and upper brass L.E.P. officers. We are not exactly sure on who she has asked, but we do know that there are some fairies that are working with her, in exchange for a percentage of profit. After all, world domination does have its benefits."

"So, there are now rats inside the L.E.P. and the council?" Holly asked curiously.

"Not exactly rats," Root stated. "Rats are inside to give out information. These are more like double agents. But to answer your question Holly, yes. There are now people affiliated with Opal, and they are working within The L.E.P. and the council. So the only two people we can trust are you two."

Artemis and Holly looked at each other. They had this mixture of nostalgia and annoyance in their eyes. All they wanted, after their last adventure, was the quiet life. These numerous adventures on saving the earth were becoming tiring. But in the end, it seemed as if they were never destined for the quiet life. After giving each other nods in agreement, they both turned back towards Root.

"Where exactly do you need our expert advice?" Artemis asked Root.

Root place his glove back on, and turned on the holograms once more. It went right back to the picture of the giant factory that was believed to be in the Sahara. He enlarged it and split the image into four separate images. "We are drawing a blank on security," he exclaimed as each image became a set of two towers, guarding each image. He pointed at each image. "We know that there are security guards and possible snipers here, here, and here. But we don't know how tight and how much security there is. We do know however, who's in charge with security." The images flung themselves at each other, and they formed a small picture of a fairy man, with raven black hair, and an upright nose. "This guy; Marvin Lawrence." Root exclaimed. "He is the head master of security. If we are able to find him, we can get the information that we need and attack the factory. Problem is this fairy has disappeared off the face of the earth. He can be anywhere. He can be anyone. And there is no way to find out where he's hiding. Except, for this." A large live-feed video of a hover truck was shown driving along what appeared to be a large city. "Marvin keeps needing equipment for his work and his hiding home. This equipment is carried by three trucks, including this one, every other day of the week."

"So these trucks would include an address, and would give us an idea of what we're up against on security." Holly stated.

"Exactly." Root replied.

"So when do we stop these trucks?" Artemis asked.

Root grew a viciously iniquitous and humorous smile. He grabbed the computer and shut it. The hologram quickly vanished. He turned back towards his audience. Mulch got up off the chair, an reached for a pack that was right beside the computer. Once Mulch started walking, Root said one word, and one word only. "Today."

Artemis and Holly were stunned. They looked back and forth between each other and Root and Mulch as they started walking towards the door. Their mouths were open in surprise. They knew that they'd have to save the world sooner or later, but this was so soon, and at the worst possible timing. "Right now?" Holly questioned amazed.

"Yes," Mulch replied with a smile. "What? Were you expecting a small visit and some time to prepare? Hell no. you know Root, he's always in command mode. Now come on girl, we got a world to save."

Holly was frantic. She couldn't believe all of this was happening at once. She looked towards her husband with the look of confusion and anxiety present on her face. Then, she became even more confused as she looked at her husband. He was sitting there in his chair, and looking towards the ground in front of his feet. He had a perceptive look on his face, as if he were in deep thought. He flicked his eyes over to Holly for just a quick second. Then, he got up from his chair. He looked at his wife and flicked his head towards Mulch and Root. He was telling Holly to come with them. It was time. Holly, got up from her chair, and began walking with the group.

Root was about an inch away from reaching the doorknob and opening it. When suddenly, out of nowhere, a bright and long mass of red hair blocked his vision. Standing in front of the group, was a very intense and very serious Apollo. And he was blocking the doorway.

"I'm coming with you." Apollo stated.

The group was stunned. Holly and Artemis gave off an amazed cry of "What!" Root was the first out of the group to speak.

"Kid, you can't come along." Root pointed out. "It's very dangerous for you and you may possibly be the last of your kind."

"yeah," Mulch sounded off directly behind Root. "Not only that, but the people we are trying to attack and question, are working for the people who are trying to capture you. That seems a little redundant to me."

Artemis Fowl stepped out from the crowd. He placed a hand on his sons shoulder, in a caring and fatherly attitude. "Son," Artemis politely stated. "You can't come with us. Haven city is a beautiful city, but it's still dangerous. The people there will be out there to kill you. Your safety will be tested if you come with us, and I _will not_ have my son's life in jeopardy."

Apollo sighed as he looked his father straight in the eyes. It was a lesson he learned form years living with Minerva. It was simple, yet worked all the time. All a child had to do was give some good facts and simple reasoning on what he wanted and why, with a calm and preserved attitude. "Professor Dickwad," Apollo began politely. (Mulch began snickering in the background.) "I want to know about this city. As far as I'm concerned, logically, this could all be made up and fake. Logic stands as logic, and I can't really believe in anything unless I see it with my own eyes. If I get a chance to see this city, I will believe you."

Artemis sighed as he placed his face in the palm of his hands. It was so stupid. He would be putting his son's life in danger if he brought Apollo with them to Haven city. However, never had he felt more convinced to do so otherwise. He had to admit, Apollo knew how to make a credible argument. And while it was completely against his original Idea, Artemis knew that the only way for Apollo to accept him, was if he saw Haven city. Haven city was the last piece to the puzzle. So with a sigh, Artemis looked up at his son, and said six important words.

"Have you ever ridden a shuttle?"

* * *

**A lot shorter than my last chapter. This is my Christmas present for all you he keep reviewing and reading my work. I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. The newest chapter will be posted somewhere around the January of Next year. I'll be taking the time to work on some of my other Fan fics. We have a small break for basketball practice, but that's going to end real soon. **

**I'd just like to tell you all, MERRY CHRISTMAS. And I hope you all have a happy holiday weekend. **

**PLEASE REVIEW! **


	9. Discovery, Part 1

**Hey Guys. I'm back with another chapter. Sorry for the wait. Before we begin, I feel that I must tell you some bad news. My girlfriend and I have recently broken up. It wasn't anything personal; it's just that we both felt we were going nowhere. And we both felt we made better friends, than boyfriend and girlfriend. So we're broken up, but we're not mad at each other, and we are now just good friends.**

**The good news is, I'm now single, (Ladies, *raises one eyebrow in a devious fashion*)**

**The Bad news is, there's only a week left till court warming, I can't drive, and now I won't be able to find a date in time. It sucks. But you know, CourtWarming is more about having fun than having a date. So that's what I'm going to do; just go out there and have fun. Besides, there's really nothing I can do about it, since I can't drive and I live in a town with less than 300 people. (That's right. I'm talking john deer, red neck, NASCAR, farming territory. That's the type of town I live in. I love it to death, and the people are the most generous and kindest people I know. Then again, half the people I know are related to me in some weird way. So it's a wash.)**

**Anyways, with that out of the way, sit back, relax, and enjoy this newest chapter to Apollo. **

**Song: 2112 Overture/ the Temples of Syrinx. By; Rush**

"_I think that right now, we live in an amazing time, and yet no one is happy. In my time, we use to have rotary phone, and when you'd dial it…..you do realize how primitive that was right? You were making fricking sparks with your phone. Now of days, everyone has a phone, in their pocket! In their pocket! And yet, never do I see someone say, with much sincerity, "Look at what my phone can do." No. instead, we have all this amazing technology, and it's wasted on the shittiest generation ever. We are, without a doubt, the snobbiest, dumbest, and most arrogant little shit's of a generation. Because I see like, 13 year old girls, I even see my teenage daughters; look at their cell phones with disgust, and go, "ugh. It won't work. It's taking too long." And there are moments, were I see children walking down the street, texting on their phones and acting like that, and I just want to wring their fucking necks and just scream at them, "GIVE IT A FUCKING SECOND. IT'S GOING TO __**SPACE! **__Can you give it a damn second to get back from space?" _

_Louie C.K._

"HOLY SHIT!" Apollo screamed with much terror and trepidation as the shuttle blast down into the earth's core. His brain vibrated in his skull as the major forces of both gravity and speed took its toll on the poor lad. He felt like his skull was going to crack. The hull was shaking way too much.

"Watch your mouth!" Artemis ordered as the shuttle vibrated and shook with much fury.

It was an experience unlike any other for Apollo. The powerful thundering vibrations, combined with the weightlessness of falling, with such speed and vicious ferocity made Apollo shamelessly scream like a girl. Being a teenager, and somewhat of an adrenalin junkie, Apollo was never a stranger to roller coasters. In fact, he enjoyed theme parks in upstate New York very much. But this…this was ten times more frightening than a roller coaster. The rush of adrenalin made Apollo's senses go haywire. It was strange. While he was enjoying the ride cause the adrenalin was tremendous, the fact that he they could be slammed into a wall, crushed like a tin can due to pressure, get eaten by a massively molted fire ball from the depths of the earth, and possibly die, made his paranoia and fear rise above normality.

"Did you piss your pants yet kid?" Mulch teased while strapped to his chair.

"No! And don't you ever call me a kid! I'm not a Kid, I'm a man!" Apollo screamed back offended.

"Right, cause normal men scream like ten year old girls." Holly sarcastically proclaimed as she tried landing the shuttle. Her frustration was higher than normal, due to the fact that she was trying to pilot a craft, while behind her, her son screamed like a girl.

"Dude, you got mom burned!" Mulch exclaimed laughing and pointing.

A long time ago, the Tara shuttle port became renovated and the LEP decided to shut it down to make way for a newer, better, and more stable shuttle port that would be just a couple of yards away. The good news for the team, (being Holly, Artemis, Mulch, Root, and Apollo) was that there'd be absolutely no security once the team made their way out of the shuttle port.

The bad news was, with the shuttle port being inactive for almost a decade, landing the shuttle was going to be riskier and more dangerous. So slowly, and without the normal relentless rebellious nature that she presented in her youth as a fly girl, she tried to carefully land the craft. The sounds gradually began to diminish.

But Apollo was so wrapped up in the excitement, that as the noise of the rumbling went away, the sound of his high pitched screaming began to show. Now, the only noise that could be heard, (if your ears weren't bleeding from the how high pitched his screaming was,) was the girly like screaming of Apollo.

Eventually, a loud _bump_ was heard, symbolizing that the shuttle had landed correctly, and that everything was okay for go. But even then, Apollo didn't relent on his ear splitting shouting, as he was shrieking so loud, that he didn't even hear the shuttle land.

"Apollo, Apollo," Artemis repeated his child's name several times while gently shaking his shoulder, trying to get his son to stop screaming, and snap back to reality. But Apollo was so filled with excitement, that he didn't notice his own father repeating his name and shaking his shoulder. Artemis's frustration was starting to boil, and his fuse ran short. Shaking his son a little bit more than he intended, he shouted his name, "Apollo!" with anger.

Apollo immediately snapped out of his exciting haze, and realized that he was still in the shuttle. Only this time, the shuttle wasn't vibrating, falling, or moving an inch. In fact, the shuttle was completely silent, calm, and still. With color rising to his cheeks, Apollo embarrassingly stated, "Wow…..I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Artemis declared like a good father would, "It was plenty exciting and horrific my first time too."

"Technically, you were knocked unconscious by the sedative in the dart I shot you in the neck with." Holly proclaimed. "So it was really your second time that was extremely frightening."

Not so much stunned by this exclamation, Apollo shrugged his shoulders and smiled. Then, after everyone unbuckled and removed their harasses, Apollo got up in the front of the shuttle, waved his hands in a forward motion, and proclaimed with a smile, "Well, come on. Let's get this show on the road."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Holly repeated several times waving her hands in a 'no' motion. "Where do you think you're going?" Holly asked very confused; assuming the worst.

"With you," Apollo blatantly replied with a quirky smile.

Everyone in the shuttle was stunned. This was a statement that no one was prepared for. It caught everyone off guard. Root and Mulch looked at each other with wide eyes of surprise. Holly's jaw was dropped to the floor. Artemis, while surprised as everyone else was at the time, seemed to be the only one calm enough to voice his opinion.

"No," Artemis ordered. "You're staying here."

"Really?" Apollo whined with a quirked brow, "But why?"

"Why? _Why?" _Holly barked out angry. "Do you even realize that what we are about to do is completely dangerous! Not to mention, if the LEP catches us, I'm pretty sure this would be considered illegal."

"Why not tell them why you're down here?" Apollo asked with much sincerity.

Root sighed without reserve. His anger and frustration was present in his voice, as he gave himself a face palm. "Does your kid have a hearing problem?" Root asked Artemis in a mumble, as his hand was covering his face in disappointment.

Artemis mumbled in an embarrassed reply, "More like a listening problem."

"Listen Kid," Root explained with his gruff, brave, dog like tone, "We told you before; Opal has some friends on the inside. World domination has a lot of money involved. So we can't trust anyone down here. Anyone can be working with Opal; ANYONE! Oh, and let's not forget that _you're the main target Opal's after!"_

"Point of the story is, for your safety, we are asking you to stay here." Artemis declared.

At first, Apollo was taking the news lightly. But the more he thought about it, the more he became offended. Eventually, Apollo was furious. With the scrunched face of agony and anger, Apollo almost had a stomping fit. But he was able to keep his emotions under just enough control not to whine and throw a fit like a small child. Instead, however, he proclaimed his frustrations to his biological father. "Who do you think you are?" Apollo exclaimed. "Who are you to judge what's best for me? You barley even know me! You have been out of my life for at least 12 years. And now you think you can boss me around like any other dad. That's bullshit!"

"Hey, watch your lip," Holly shouted back.

Mulch then began snickering, covering his mouth to try and hide his laughing. Unfortunately, the laugh was already exclaimed.

At first, Holly shot a death glare right into Mulch's eyes. Then, Suddenly, Holly realized that she sounded more like an old house mother, than her usual spunky self. So, calming down, she continued the rest of her rant with a cool tone. "Yes, it was a bad choice to be out of your life for so long. We should have told you sooner. But that doesn't matter. The point is, it's very bad for you to go out there into the city right now."

"But I want to see!" Apollo whined. "I want to believe."

"Wasn't the shuttle ride enough for you? I did happen to pull out all the stops just for your enjoyment." Holly stated subtly. "Besides, you can view the city through the window."

"Oooo, a window." Apollo exclaimed sarcastically, as he walked over to the small rectangular window on the side of the egg shape shuttle. "That's so much better than a firsthand look."

Suddenly, a small and almost non-existent beeping was heard. Root lifted up his wrist, and his eyes widen in alarm as he noticed the time on his watch. Hurrying the family along, Root took Holly and Artemis by the shoulders, and began pushing them. "Listen, we got to go now. Apollo; you stay here. Everyone else; grab a camo-foil suit, and follow me."

Opening a drawer in the shuttle cabin, Root grabbed four strange looking suits, that almost looked like old beta astronaut suits, and gave each individual, (excluding Apollo,) a suit. To Apollo's amazement, he watched Root, Holly, Artemis, and Mulch vaporize in front of his eyes. Slowly, they disappeared into thin air. Apollo was deathly shocked, to say the least. Suddenly, he heard footsteps. And then the shuttle door closed. Thinking rationally, (even if the whole situation in the first place, about fairies and what not, seemed irrational,) Apollo concluded that the suits must have given the gang the ability to turn invisible.

Artemis slammed the shuttled door shut behind him. The great thing about the camo-foil suites was the helmets that came equipped with it, gave not only vital read outs, and a sweet radar to boot, but also gave the individual the ability to clearly see anyone else who was shielding, or wearing a suit at the time. Noticing that he was falling behind, Artemis began to run to catch up with his wife and the others. Artemis had no fear that Apollo would be able to leave the shuttle. The door was locked and there'd be no possible way that anybody would be able to spot a human in haven and for the word not to spread rapidly like wild fire.

Unfortunately for them, as Root was grabbing the suites and throwing them out, one suit in particular managed to fall to the ground. Apollo, with much curiosity, tried the suit on. While it was a very tight fit, (being that it was only meant for people three feet and under,) Apollo found out that camo-foil stretches easily to accommodate one's body. Noticing that the foil was successful at making his body invisible, Apollo smiled to himself, as he realized now, he could venture out into haven against his parent's permission, and finally see the great city. And yes, he did know that there were some crazy people after him, and he did know that this was probably not the best decision. But, being a teenager, adolescence rebellion was the only thing that was on his mind. _Now all I have to deal with is this pesky door, _Apollo thought.

* * *

Goblins are notorious for many things. Patience isn't one of them. For a goblin gang, the motto is shoot first, an ask questions later. That is of course, if you have enough brains to put words together to form a sentence.

So when Marcellus Jamal, the high leader of one of the five major goblin gangs (the vulpine vipers), waited for one of his employee's (which were really people entitled to serve him) to deliver a small precious package of jalapeño peppers (for spicy foods in haven are illegal,) to say that he was in low spirits, would have been an understatement. It wasn't though as if he was depressed. It was just the fact that his impatience was starting to take its toll. He drummed his fingers along his desk, which was placed inside a large abandoned warehouse, and tried to hold back that famous temper of his. Unfortunately, his best efforts to hold back his rage were being reduced every second the employee didn't show up.

Finally, with a very sluggish attitude, and with deliberate movements, the employee slowly walked through the front door, and closed it behind him.

"Why, Hello there Jack." Marcellus proclaimed. His loud voice echoed throughout the abandon warehouse. Apparently, Jack wasn't expecting Marcellus to appear so suddenly, for the voice caused Jack to almost jump out of his skin, and with a yelp of surprise, Jacked turned around and faced Marcellus with wide eyes of fear.

Marcellus sat in the middle of the warehouse. He was provided with a usual business desk, (which was very uncommon for goblin gangs) and his favorite lounge chair, which he used as a desk stool for the time being. Standing on both sides of Marcellus, were two of his most trusted homies, Phillip and Taren.

Phillip and Taren were both very dumb, like usual goblins were. Their personalities were distinctively different. Phillip knew emotion and how to handle one's emotion for one's gang. Basically, Phillip knew how to fuck with people, and push their buttons. Taren was more of a muscle man. He had muscle, and lots of it. And his main priority with The Vulpine Vipers, was to strike.

Marcellus was a rare commodity as Goblins come. While most Goblins were stupid and acted on impulse, Marcellus was very resilient towards violent conflict. That did not mean that he did enjoy it. Marcellus was a psychotic. He would have his fun at the tragic expense of others. He loved to kill, rape, and steal. The only difference was that Marcellus was smart. He would wait for the opportune moment to strike, and take what he wanted. Marcellus was cunning, dastardly, and would use his intimidating presence and wits for his personal gain.

Marcellus knew how to make a threatening atmosphere, to get the opponent, or the person to whom Marcellus was talking to, to feel ill at ease, thus making them spill the beans, make a mistake, or fall into his trap. Earlier today, Marcellus made the great decision to not only use the scary and daunting warehouse to make the transaction, but he also used only a small desk lamp for lighting, making his existence in that warehouse more menacing. And his menacing presence seemed to work at the moment, for Jack seemed so twitchy and nervous, that Jack could have easily been confused for having a stroke.

Taren began to move forward just a tad, placing his hand on his hip, to draw out his pistol, (which all goblin gangs seemed to carry, for human fire arms seemed to be the easiest to get off the black market.) Marcellus waved one hand in the air, symbolizing Taren to calm down, and to back away. He had no doubt in his mind that Jack would be so haste as to attack. In fact, Jack seemed to be in the palm of Marcellus hand.

After a strong bout of silence, Jack finally spoke up and answered Marcellus. "Hello sir." He stuttered in a frightened tone.

With a smile that was invented by none other than Satan himself, Marcellus proclaimed, "It's alright Jack. No need to be frighten here. Do you have the package?"

"Oh, yeah dude." Jack finally announced. He reached out behind him, and pulled out a small, white, cardboard box. "The peppers weren't easy to find, you know. I hope I get my pay."

"Good things come to those who wait." Marcellus stated as the small white cardboard box slid itself onto the desk.

Marcellus grinned to himself as he placed his hands out to open the box. He started adding numbers in his head, wondering how much dough he would make once the jalapeño peppers were sold. He knew that there would be regulars who would come and enjoy the spiciness of a pepper, and he also knew that there would also be those who came along, wondering what their first pepper would be like. Never the less, he knew without a doubt, that these peppers were going to place his gang back up to the top of the five goblin gang families.

Marcellus opened the box…..

And then he stared.

"Um….jack?"

"Yes?" Jack asked confused.

Marcellus reached into the box, and pulled out the thinned, sliced, _yellow, _vegetable, with the look of disgust and anger. It was almost thin and paper wait. And it was _defiantly not _a jalapeño. "Do I look like a fucking retard to you? Huh! Do I look like a retard?'

"What are you talking about?" Jack asked both concerned and frightened.

"These are _banana _peppers; not the _jalapeño _peppers we _distinctively _asked you for!" Marcellus yelled with the power of a thousand suns, that would haunt any man, woman, and child, regardless of who they were.

It was at this moment that Jack's eyes widen in fear. He realized the error of his ways. This was the third time that he screwed up the transaction. The first time, he only got red peppers. The second time he miserably failed, the product that he displaced was a green pepper. This was the last time, and Marcellus warned him about it. But, being a stupid goblin, Jack tried to persuade Marcellus to give him another chance.

"Please. I'm so sorry! I really tried! I'll do better next time!" Jack announced.

With an exasperated sigh, Marcellus waved his hand in the air, and tried to call off the anxious Jack. Jack immediately zipped his lip, over the fear of retaliation. "Jack, let me explain something." Marcellus than stood up, placing his hand behind his back, and faced away from Jack. With a cold and frozen tone, he explained.

"Jack, put yourself in a situation. You're a leader of a great company. You have lots of workers, and an amazing reputation with rival companies. But there is always that one employee…you know. There's always that one problem child. He worked very hard, that wasn't undeniable, but he always screwed up. And did you know what his excuse was? 'I'll do better next time.' And you let him go, hoping that he would do better 'next time.' And yet every time, he failed, and he'd always tell you, that he'd do better, _next time! _But he never did…..now, if you were in the boss's situation, what would you do?"

"I'd know what I'd do if I were the problem worker!" Jack exclaimed with much fear and panic in his voice.

"And what's that?" Marcellus chilling asked as he cocked his brow.

"I'D FUCKING RUN!" Jack screamed as he turned to run.

Marcellus heard the tiny footsteps running away. A creepy smile placed itself upon his face. It was his favorite part of being a gangster. Killing for him was a hobby. And it was now time for him, to indulge in it once more. With an icy tone, Marcellus ordered Taren and Phillip, "fire."

Taren and Phillip drew their fire arms, and began to repeatedly fire bullets at Jack. Unfortunately, when both Taren and Phillip fired, they completely missed all ten rounds. When Jack got through the doors, Marcellus realized that he would have to run, to get his kill. "And now the lion catches his prey."

And with that, Marcellus ordered his two men to follow him, and they proceeded to chase Jack down the streets of East Haven.

* * *

The truck slowly made its way across the road. It pulled itself with much difficulty. It chugged along as if it were about to die. Then again, a primitive truck such as this one could have easily been better off in a haven museum, than out of the road delivering the goods. The other two trucks seemed more technologically advanced than this one. And that is exactly why Root and Mulch planned on attacking the trucks today. This truck was much slower, older, and easier to take over. Plus, the routes that each truck took every day were different. And this particular route that this truck was taking on this particular day was far away from the public domain of West Haven. And thus, their attack would go as unnoticed, and unobserved.

The group was currently sitting in a hover craft, (to which Root had licensed under a pseudonym), and stayed parked on the top of a very large hill, waiting as the truck moved along at agonizingly slow speeds. Mulch, was seated in the drivers chair, much to the fear of the others. Root was seated in the passenger seat, and Artemis and Holly were seated in the back. Root was currently watching the truck through a pair of high tech, L.E.P. issued binoculars.

"There she is…." Root sighed with much happiness and anticipation as the truck slowly moved along its road.

"Really, I can't-let me see." Mulch exclaimed excitedly. The dwarf then reached out and tried to grab the binoculars from Root's hand. Being polar opposites, Root tried to pull away. Wanting to see the truck (which seemed like an ant without binoculars,) Mulch didn't give up and kept trying to gain control of the binoculars. A small scuffle broke out, when all of a sudden-_crack-_ the binoculars snapped in half. Mulch looked up with much surprise. Root looked down with much disgust. Both of them sighed in irritation, and then threw their piece of the binocular down onto the floorboard, realizing that since the binoculars could only work through their technology, they were now ruined.

Artemis and Holly were feeling very uncomfortable in the back seat. In earlier years, Holly would have probably been okay and very comfortable in the back seat. But now, Holly felt though as if she were trapped in a walnut. Due to her and Arty's partnership, they became both physically and mentally more like the other. In Holly's case, she grew from 3 feet tall, to 5 feet tall. Artemis grew a better since of compassion and understanding of one's feelings through the partnership.

And speaking of Artemis, he felt as if he were trapped in a walnut as well. The hovercraft was way too short for him. His back ached with pain as he and Holly were squished under the roof. And while he very much enjoyed being so close to his wife, he hated the fact that their proximity together was due to the fact that they were too big for this pint sized hovercraft. And with each passing second that they could have been doing something productive, Root and Mulch bickered in the front.

Finally, Artemis raised his concerns.

"Uh….Gentlemen." Artemis stated. "Shouldn't we be doing something more industrious?"

"We are," Root replied. "We're commenting on what a total idiot Mulch is."

"Well, excuse me for trying to get a good look at the truck!" Mulch sarcastically exclaimed.

"Guys," Holly exasperated. "This is getting us nowhere. Now may you please tell us what exactly we're doing here, on the hill, just staying parked?"

Root sighed and waved his hand in front of the dashboard, exclaiming as he spoke, and pointing towards the truck out in the distance. "Well isn't it obvious?" he stated. "We're waiting for the opportune moment to strike."

"With What?"Artemis asked with a corked brow.

"Why, with the hovercraft of course." Mulch affirmed with a smile.

A chill went down the spines of both Holly and Artemis. This was something that they were not expecting to hear. Sure, they knew that they would probably hijack the truck, and that the danger would be present, but they didn't actually think that they were going to risk more than that. "What!" Holly exclaimed; bewildered by the idea that Mulch and Root would put their lives in danger.

"It's simple," Root said, turning around to face Holly. "We run into the side of the tuck. We hold the drivers hostage. We open the back and investigate the type of equipment they have, and where they're taking it to. Then we tie them down to the truck so they can't move, and we drive off into the sunset."

"Yeah, but isn't the whole 'running your car into the truck' thing a little dangerous." Holly asked, flabbergasted that Root could talk about such a dangerous idea with a business like tone.

"Yeah, but it's for a good cause. Besides, it's going to be a hell of a lot of fun." Mulch exclaimed with a smile. Then, he leaned forward, and squinted his eyes, as he tried to focus on the truck out in the distance. He then notice, that the truck was now only a couple of feet away from the target area, which Root planned on striking. "Speaking of which…..it's time."

And with that, Mulch shifted gears and blasted out off the hill at blazing speeds.

Artemis and Holly held on for dear life. The G-forces weren't extremely powerful, but earth shattering none the less. As soon As Mulch pushed the pedal to the metal, Artemis and Holly were thrown back. Afterwards, they had enough sense in their skulls, to buckle up immediately. The Hovercraft would hit small dunes or rises in the road, causing the same effect as if a car hit a pot hole. Their heads struck the roof of the car. Artemis had his head bumped at least 20 times. And they watched in horror, and in extreme tension, as the large truck began to draw closer, and closer, and closer. The small ant truck was now beginning to look more like an elephant.

As Mulch continued his dead on assault, he turned his head to Root at least half a minute before impact.

"Hey Root, I hope you don't mind, but when we were working on the craft a few weeks before I went off to Fowl's mansion to gather evidence, I decided to modify the horn." Mulch deviously smiled as he said this. And with that, he hit the horn.

Immediately, the "General Lee," horn from "The Dukes of Hazzard," sounded off.

Root sighed in annoyance. Root was able to proclaim, "You son of a b-" before the hovercraft slammed into the side of the truck.

The Impact was incredible. Everybody's body flew foreword, and was held back from flying out of the hovercraft, thanks to the safety belts. Even though the windshield and windows were supposedly, "shatter proof," glass was now everywhere. The hovercraft spun out of control. It spun out like a damaged helicopter would, before finally screeching to a halt. One of the thrusters was damaged in the crash. But it wasn't only the gang's craft was the only thing that was damaged. The truck's left wheel and axel was obliterated. Root's hovercraft was actually going so fast, that the truck started to tip. Then with a loud thunderous _whomp; _the truck landed on its side. The windshield blew out the two drivers that were in the truck flopped out of the vehicle like dead fishes.

Fowl in the back, was completely passed out before impact. He fainted due to the anxiety of the situation. Luckily for him, he didn't have to witness the gruesome crash. He was unlucky, however, for his unsupported head slammed violently into the widow of the hovercraft, cracking it.

* * *

Fowl awoke with a throbbing head ache. He moaned out of discomfort and anguish. A thick liquid pooled around his lips. Out of instinct, he spat out the liquid due to the unsatisfying taste. When it landed on the floorboard, Fowl recognized that it was blood. Apparently, he bit the inside of his cheek during the crash. He then looked down on his suit, and groaned in annoyance. Blood was a terrible stain, and it took weeks to remove from clothing. He ran through a mental checklist to make sure he was fine. He tried noticing his surroundings, and all that he could tell throughout the damaged vehicle, was that it looked like hell, and that he could smell the faint hint of smoke. As he started to think about the situation more and more, he began to become increasingly pissed at Root and Mulch. First, they destroy his garden. Then, they put his and Holly's life in more danger than it needed to be. And now his suit was completely ruined.

Suddenly, he felt a soft, caring, warm, and light touch on his cheek. It was thin and slender; almost bony, yet warm like flesh; like it was someone's fingers. He snapped out of his unconscious haze, and turned his head to a worried and concerned Holly. Holly immediately brightened, and gripped Artemis in a caring and aggressive hug. Artemis was now completely awake. And his heart began to melt, as he realized that Holly was there to care for him, even during this giant disaster.

Then, his heart rose 12 beats as he noticed Holly's face, which was cut and bruised. He became disturbed and frightened at the sight, and his concern was present within his voice. "Holly, you're hurt." Artemis exclaimed frightened.

With a laugh and then a sigh of annoyance, she reached out her hand and healed Arty's goose-egg on his head. The throbbing head ache immediately relieved itself. All the pain from his forehead was gone. Realizing that Holly did him a favor, Artemis reached his hand out and healed her face too. He got the few big scars on her forehead, and the bruise on her cheek. He was careful not to overuse the magic. Not because he was selfish, but because since they were partnered, they had to share magic. When one was out, they all were out. Once both he and she came to an agreement on the perfect amount of healing, they embraced each other once more. And then, with a flutter of love rising in their hearts, they gave each other a sweet syrupy kiss.

Pulling back, Fowl had to ask, "So, has anything new happened ever since I was knocked unconscious?"

"Pfft; knocked unconscious my ass. You fainted." Holly playfully teased. "But to answer your question, yes. A lot has happened since the crash. We opened the back of the truck and found all the equipment. Apparently, this Marvin Lawrence guy, the one heading security for Opal's factory, it seems he's prepared for the apocalypse. There were so many guns and ammunition it was making my head spin. We did happen to find a 'deliver to' address on a box of nuclear batteries. It was addressed to, now get this, _Paris France. _This guy has been living in Paris, and yet no one has spotted him. And we know that he has been living in a hotel, for it was addressed to the Tipton."

Suddenly, Fowl heard a giant banging noise. It was like someone was striking the side of a tin house with a tennis ball. Fowl looked behind his wife and out the back passenger window. He noticed the truck, lying on its side, with smoke coming out of its hood, and its tires spinning, though no one was pressing on its gas pedal. Fowl was somewhat confused by the fact that there was a gas powered vehicle in haven, instead of a hover craft. But after thinking about it a little bit, he came to realize that maybe for criminals; it was easier to obtain human technology, rather than fairy technology.

Then he noticed the strangest sight of them all. Root was leaning against the truck, smoking one of his trademark fungus cigars, and looking like as if he were bored. His camo-foil suit had been deactivated, so the sight was as plain to see as ever. Sitting to the bottom left hand side of Root, was one of the truck drivers. His hair was tangled, spoiled, and ravish, as if he were attacked by a tiger. Fowl automatically recognized that the fairy had to be unconscious. His body was limp and completely slumped. His right hand was standing in mid air, and that's when Artemis realized that the driver's hand was already cuffed by a pair of L.E.P. traffic hand cuffs, to the front bumper. Artemis looked up, and then noticed Mulch, (whose camo-suit had also been deactivated), standing on the top of the vehicle, (which would have been its right door) and he was gripping a bat, and repeatedly striking the window with an aluminum bat.

"Now, what exactly are they doing?" Artemis asked his wife with confusion.

Holly turned her head and looked out the window. She explained the situation in a matter of fact tone. "The other driver is still stuck in there. Mulch is going to try and drag his body out. After that, we'll attach him to the bumper as well, and then we'll be on our way."

Artemis studied the situation for a while. He began to smile as he saw his dwarf friend, struggling to break a window. He turned back to his wife, and kissed her on the cheek once more. Afterwards, he moved around her body, opened the door by her side, and began to step out of the vehicle. Holly followed right behind him. Artemis did not want to miss this humorous situation. Holly began to laugh as well, at the sight of Mulch repeatedly striking a window that wouldn't seem to crack.

Mulch was very angry. "Why won't this window break!" he shouted. "What seems to be the problem?"

"Is it you, you pussy." Root commented as he continued smoking his fungus cigar.

Suddenly, a giant crash was heard by everyone. Root turned around, assuming to see Mulch with a successful grin, standing on top of a shattered window. Instead, Root saw Mulch with a horrified expression. His jaw was dropped and his eyes were wide. And right under Mulch, was an arm which broke through the window on its own.

Artemis and Holly watch with much surprise, as a hand appeared out of nowhere from inside the truck, and break through the window. The hand then grabbed Mulch, and tightened around his ankle. With a scream of terror, Mulch was pulled down, and disappeared inside the truck.

The sound of fighting appeared from the truck, followed by the sound of Mulch screaming, "HELP! HELP! THE GUY IS AWAKE AND IS KICKING MY ASS! SOMEONE HELP! ROOT!'

Holly and Artemis began to run to the truck, not knowing what they were going to do, but decided to run to the truck to at least be there if aid was needed. Root took action, and jumped on the truck, and started looking down inside the truck. Equipped on his side, was a can of pepper spray in case of emergency. But when Root looked down into the truck and noticed that it was completely darkened like a giant bottomless pit, he was reluctant to start spraying, fearing he'd spray the wrong person, and that Mulch would be the one passing out. But when Root heard the sound of Mulch screaming, "SPRAY HIM! SPRAY HIM!" Root decided, 'what the hell,' and began spraying.

Immediately, Root heard the sound of Mulch screaming in horrible agony, "NO! NO! NOT ME YOU IDIOT! SPRAY THE DRIVER!"

Before Root could even have time to re-aim and spray, that giant hand from before, formed a fist and contacted Root, squarely in the jaw. Root was completely surprised, and the force of the impact was so strong, that Root fell off the truck and landed on his back.

Suddenly, the driver arouse from the truck. Everyone was awestruck. Never before had anyone seen a fairy, with so much muscle mass. It was like the fairy had been taking work out tips from a troll, and then had been eating steroids with every meal. The fairy was HUGE! He was basically a body with a head attached, instead of the other way around.

The fairy hand Mulch by the neck. The poor dwarf was gasping for breath. Once the man had gotten out of the truck, he jumped off and turned towards the stunned individuals.

"If any of you want to see your friend alive, you will not follow me!" and with that, the man took off and began running to the west. Not even paying attention to what he said, Root began taking off and chasing after the driver, who was carrying Mulch by the neck, as the poor dwarf was being dragged along. While Root did hate the dwarf, in all teasing and annoyance set aside, Mulch was a good friend to both him and the Fowl's. He was not going to let the poor dwarf die….just yet.

Holly sighed at the sight of Root chasing after Mulch. She was annoyed that Artemis began running to catch up with everyone else.

The attack had taken its turn for the worse, and so, _another _adventure began.

* * *

Root bust through the doors with a powerful ambition. It was an ambition of protection. It was an ambition of defense. Basically, Root's stress was running high, and all his motives lead to one goal. By the end of the day, someone was getting their ass kicked. So, as he burst through the doors of the closed down convenience store, which the driver with Mulch had run to, his eyes were frail and animalistic. He was now sweating bullets. His heart rate had risen to the point of internal combustion. His heart was now pumping battery acid.

And Root was showing no signs of slowing down.

Which is why it was probably a good thing that Holly was able to catch up with Root before he took another step into the convenience store.

"Root," Holly exclaimed, stopping for a moment to lean over and catch her breath. The years of inactive service had taken a tool on Holly. Back then, she'd probably still be able to run two more miles. But now, just the simple half a mile was enough to make Holly gasp for air. Once she finally got enough oxygen in her lungs, she was able to speak to Root. "Listen Root," Holly began. "This is probably not the best idea. I mean, you heard the guy, he's going to kill Mulch now."

"That's Right!" a strong voice proclaimed from the back. It was obvious that the driver was not going down easy.

"He was going to die anyway if we just left him alone with the driver!" Root yelled in reply to Holly.

"Root, Please just go away!" Mulch chokingly replied with a yell from the back. "I'll be fine. I don't want you to get hurt. I can take care of myself."

"You can't even break a fucking window with a bat!" Root shouted. "How do you suspect to get out of this? No! Fuck that! We're helping!"

At this point, Artemis finally showed up. He was more out of shape than his beautiful an athletic wife. Not that he was fat. On the contraire, he was like a toothpick with abs. but the problem was, Artemis never really focused on physical activity. The abs just came along with all the years and all the adventures. So now, years later, even with some muscle mass, running was not his forte. So when he appeared, he breathed without reserve, and gasped like a fish out of water; hands on his knees, bending over, and sweating like Lindsey Lohan in a Liquor store.

"You okay," Holly asked her husband.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Artemis moaned out of pain and aching ribs. It was clear that he was very, _very_ out of shape.

"You sure you want to do this!" The driver proclaimed from the back with a powerful tone. "I'm warning you. Once you start this, there's no turning back."

"FUCK YOU!" Root shouted without reserve.

"Okay, but we don't shoot to injure. We shoot to kill." The driver proclaimed.

Root was completely confused. Holly was stunned. And Artemis, even though his body begged for it, actually stopped breathing, for the perplexity was tremendous.

"Who's _we?" _Holly asked.

"Me, Smith and Wesson!" The driver shouted with a strange feeling of confidence and surrealistic murder. Out of nowhere, the driver ran out from behind a hallway, and started firing the semi-automatic hand gun, as he ran, and then took shelter behind a shelf of magazines.

Root, Holly, and Artemis, immediately ducked and took shelter behind the shelves of sweets and fishing supplies as soon as the first shot rang out. Luckily, no one was struck by any of the bullets that the fairy shot as he made his way over to the magazine counter. However, that did not mean that the men gave up his brutal assault. As soon as he took shelter, he reloaded his weapon quickly, and began to fire with such speed that an a man on crack would have said, "dude, slow the fuck down!"

At this moment, Mulch came hopping along the side of the convenience store, trying to find Root. He was hoping because while the driver was waiting for Root to arrive, he bonded Mulch with duck tape all around his arms and his legs. On top of that, the pepper spray left Mulch with a burning sensation in his eyes that would never cease. So Mulch had to hop along like an idiot, while avoiding bullets, and make his way to Root's side, before falling face first on the ground, causing his nose to crack again. Root pulled the dwarf closer to the fort of sweet treats, and helped get the duck tape off him.

Once the dwarf was released from his prison of silver tape, he uttered the biggest piece of stupidity that Root every heard.

"Shit dude, he's got a gun!" Mulch proclaimed.

"NO FUCKING SHIT SHERLOCK!" Root shouted back. Root realized that he had to fight back. Otherwise, if they just continued hiding behind the rows of sweets and treats, they would surely be sitting ducks. In fact, they were sitting ducks right now. So, reaching for his side, Root grabbed the pistol that he took from the manor earlier that morning, and was ready to fire. He leaned out just a bit, aimed his weapon, and pulled the trigger.

Nothing happened.

Root went back behind the shelf. His face had the look of perplexity. He was extremely flabbergasted. Why did his weapon not fire? Then, he noticed something else. The gun was very light. It was extremely light weight. Almost like a toy. Then, Root eyed Mulch, who was creating a ruckus, even though bullets were flying by. Mulch was repeatedly hitting himself in the head, and exclaiming, "Fuck me man. God Damn it. I'm an idiot."

"What?" Root asked.

"That's the toy gun with the painted out tip that I used on Artemis this morning!" Mulch exclaimed with fear and self-embarrassment. "I accidently left the real gun at the manor! I'm so sorry man. God damn it, I'm a fucking idiot."

"ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?" Root exclaimed with anger. Out of pure frustration, Root through the gun down on the ground, and seated behind the fort, he pouted.

"Well, what do we do now?" Holly shouted from the other row right beside Artemis.

Root thought about for a moment. For normal people, it would be hard for someone to think while excessive gun fire was going off, and bullets were whizzing past them. But, being a clone of Root, number 6 had the same mental abilities as the Root he was copied from. Root had a gift of thinking well under pressure. That's why Julius was such a good commander. So, expressing that same ability, and using it well, Root finally came to a conclusion.

"Okay, it's obvious that this guy only has a certain amount of bullets." Root declared. "So, all we have to do is wait until he runs out, then I'll face him off in hand to hand combat."

"Are you delusional?" Artemis screamed. "A fourth grader could have come to the same conclusion as you did. And besides that, you do realize that after a while, he's going to come out and try and get closer to us."

"Don't worry Artemis, this guy is all brawn and no brains." Mulch described. "You see, we did our research, and we found out that the reason Opal hired Marvin Lawrence was because he had ties with the old prison up in East Haven. All the inmates there are notorious for having an 85 percent I.Q. or under."

"Why would she hire dumbasses?" Holly asked.

"Would you want someone smart enough to screw you over? No, you wouldn't." Mulch described.

"You know what, that's a really excellent philosophy. That was a smart choice made by Opal." Fowl described. "You know what a smart idea isn't? Here's a good example; HIDING BEHIND TWINKIES OR WHATERVER THE HELL THE FAIRY COMMUNITY CONSIDERS A DESSERT, WHILE A GUY SHOOTS AT US NON STOP!"

"It's the only thing we can do right now." Root called out. "We don't have weapons, and there's no way we can risk the chance of taking a bullet. We need all of us to work together. If one goes down, we all go down. We're a team. And there is no 'I' in team."

"No, but there's an 'm' and an 'e'," Artemis replied like a smart ass.

"There should be an 'f' and a 'u'!" Mulch screamed.

Artemis leaned back into his part of the fort. He gripped Holly tightly, hoping for this hell to pass. They waited as the driver continued firing furiously at them and missing every time, because the metal shelf blocked their bodies or because he had really horrible aim. He held on tightly, and suddenly, a strange thought popped into his mind. However, the thought was something that he couldn't have agreed more with.

"This is why I'm very glad that Apollo stayed in the shuttle," Holly stated.

Suddenly, Fowl received the greatest surprise of them all. Without warning, he felt his ring finger vibrate. This wasn't caused by nervousness, or by extensive muscle use, but because the communicator on his ring finger, was actually ringing, for he placed the communicator on silent. This struck Fowl as odd. There were only 4 people who had the communicator's number. Holly was sitting right beside him. Butler was gone. This meant that the caller could be either N01 or Trouble Kelp. And why would they be calling at a time like this?

Artemis formed his fingers into the shape of a phone. He placed his fake phone up to his ear. And that's when Artemis Fowl received one of his biggest shocks of his life. As if things couldn't have gotten more stressing for the Irish Lad, he received a call from Trouble Kelp. And apparently, he had some huge news.

"Hey Fowl," Trouble Kelp exclaimed on the communicator. "I know this is going to sound insane, and I don't know where you are right now, but apparently there's a commotion going on. But anyways, this is going to sound crazy, but I have your son in the back of my car, and I just witnessed him kick the living shit out of a goblin gang, using fucking lightning! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!"

* * *

**(* a few minutes earlier *)**

Apollo was spellbound, awestruck, and all around amazed. New York was bull shit compared to this city. Sure, it was small, but New York never had flying cars, or people who were only three feet tall, yet looked completely normal; body part proportionate to their size. The city was like something out of the minds of pre-prequels George Lucas, or Steven Spielberg. It was like if the world of "blade runner," had a love child with the world of J.R. Tolkien. And the best part of it was, no one would ever know that he was there. The cam-foil suit was amazing. He was walking among the fairy folk like a giant, and yet never once, did they spot him. It was amazing, and Apollo was happy.

And in that moment, and that moment alone, Apollo came to terms with who he was, and what reality was. It was a strange enlightenment. In one simple visit, his whole life had been flipped upside down by his parents. And now, his whole life had been flipped right-side-up, thanks to this beautiful and technologically advanced city. He had finally achieved full self understanding, and self-awareness. Usually it took years for a person to achieve such a self knowledge about one's self. All Apollo needed was a quick trip to this city, and he already fully knew who he was.

As he walked along slowly, he lifted his hands up, and slowly activated his powers. Small sparks began to shroud his hand. It was amazing. These powers were a divine gift. They just had to be. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a line from the "Spider-man," movies played itself in his head. "With great power, comes great responsibility." And strangely, that was true. With this power, he could do whatever he wanted. He could knock off a bank and steal millions of dollars in cash. Or, he could become a superhero and protect the innocent.

He looked back up to the virtually lit sky. A hovercraft using the upper road, (which was symbolized using floating cones), flew overhead. Flying cars; a normal human could not comprehend that. People keep talking about how it's the new millennium, and how the future hasn't really seemed to arrive, when they don't realize that they have the future in their pockets; cell phones, IPods, digital cameras. Maybe the world wasn't ready. Sure, They'd freak out at first, and the main worry behind Apollo's decision about his powers, was the fear of retaliation; the fear of being a mutant, or the alien from another planet once more. he could just see it now. Senior year of high school, kids would be going to the busses, and one would tell their friend, "See that kid? Yeah, the one with the red hair and pointed ears. The kid has superpowers. *beat*. No, it's not awesome. He's a freak. One time, the kid went up the lunch line, and accidently singed the ladies hair. Yep. Totally freak. *beat.* no I wouldn't go near him If I was you. He might accidently electrocute you."

It took Apollo years, _years,_ to gain friendship and some, but very little, respect in his school. After all, who wants to be friends with the guy who has elfin ears? It was a horrible process of growing, failing, and learning the hard way each and every day. He couldn't go through all that again. And some would argue, "Why don't you make a secret identity like all superhero's do?" even if he did that, Apollo feared backlash. What about cops? They'd probably frown down upon a vigilante justice. They'd go after him. And fuck man….what if it was like a "Dark Knight," situation, where a Joker dude would come out of the wood works just to see if he could beat Apollo. The kid couldn't take that kind of pressure.

But the biggest fear of all; was the future lack of respect. Sure, at first his super hero identity would be mentioned in the press a lot. T-shirts with his logo and name on them would be produced and sold. And hell, if lucky enough, Mark Millar from Marvel would write a comic book series about his superhero. But Apollo knew that good things would only last a short while. Just as soon as he would enter the world of superheros, he'd soon be forgotten too. People tend to forget that they have such great things in their lives. Cell phones have only been around for a good ten years, (if you didn't count the giant bricks Wall Street executives had to use in the eighties,) and all ready, some kids have seem to lost respect for such great technology. Just as people have lost respect for the cell phone, people would lose respect for Apollo's super hero life style.

And some would argue, that if that was the case, why was he so invested in becoming a rock star, and professional musician? After all, some kids have even lost respect for "_The Beatles;" _the barbarians.

For Apollo that was different. Music was something that he loved. Music was something that touched a deep part of him that nothing else will. Music was something that he would always enjoy doing, through Good times, and bad times. And as long as he was doing something that he absolutely loved with a passion, he knew that respect didn't matter. He was doing something that he loved, and knew that music would always make him happy.

He wasn't sure if he was enthralled by the idea of a superhero. There would be a lot of work involved in that area he'd be involved in as a superhero. And being one was also very dangerous. Apollo came to the conclusion, that he'd rather do something that he loved, that was also _not life threatening._

Apollo came to this conclusion. _I'll use my powers for good, _Apollo thought to himself, _and I'll do it only when absolutely needed. Vigilante justice is out of the question. Only when the moment shows itself, will I use it in that manner. ….but you know, that would be kind of cool to be a superhero just one time, you know. God, if only a moment to be a superhero could appear right now._

Fate has a strange way of answering one's questions. For, out of nowhere, Apollo felt a giant force strike his back and he was thrown to the ground. It was like someone had run into him. In fact, someone _had indeed, _ran into the poor lad. That person happened to be a goblin. And strangely that Goblin was the unfortunate Jack, who was being chased down by Marcellus, Taren, and Phillip.

As Jack was running for his life, from the gang which he screwed up horribly with, he ran into something. Strangely, this weight seemed to have come out of nowhere. He fell over, face first, did a couple off somersaults, and finally found himself face first with the invisible man he had ran into. A strange and awkward moment happened for both Apollo and Jack. For Starters, Apollo's cam foil-suit came flying off after Jack struck into him. Apollo was left in plain sight, completely visible, and the foil suit was nothing more than shiny tin foil on the ground. So seeing a strange human being appear out of nowhere must have been insane to grasp.

Apollo, face to face with this strange creature, could do nothing except two things. A.) stare in awe and B.) Apologize rapidly with a stutter.

"Oh G-God. I-I-I am s-so s-sorry man." Apollo shockingly replied.

Figuring out that the boy was a mud man, and happened to speak English, the goblin, over-rising the difficulty to speak, came out with the words "Fucking asshole," before Apollo's head was pressed down onto the concrete. The other goblins, not paying attention to Apollo, and only focused on killing Jack with their bare fist, ran over the Poor Apollo, and pressed their feet on the back of his head, slamming it to the ground.

When Apollo looked up after being run over, he was stunned. Now, there were three more Goblins. Two held Jack by his arms, making him a punching bag. The other Goblin began repeatedly punching and kicking the other goblin who was being held up. It wasn't long before Jack began to bleed. His mouth spewed blood where his tooth had been broken. His gut was already starting to bruise.

Marcellus was quite enjoying this spectacle. This was what he liked to do. This is what made his job fun. He turned to Apollo, and thinking that the red headed teenager was actually just a mutated elf, (for he noticed the ears,) exclaimed two words, in a manic and maniacal manner, and in gnomish. "Thanks freak!"

That's when a light bulb went off in Apollo's head. This was his moment. With these powers, he could save annoyance. And today, it seemed as if that someone happened to be a goblin. He could protect him. And no one above ground would know. He could save this man life, be a super hero for one moment of his life, and keep the respect, keep the fame, and have the greatest secret of all, that he, Apollo, saved a life with lightning powers.

Apollo rose from the ground, and tried a small tactic. He grabbed Marcellus and Phillips shoulders, and tried to pull; exclaiming, "Get off him. Leave him alone!"

Marcellus replied by shoving him back, almost hitting him with a fire ball, and exclaiming in English, after realizing Apollo only seemed to speak English, "It's none of your business!"

When Apollo got shoved back, this time, the lighting was thicker. His hands became covered in lightning, and the lightning stayed in place. It was sort of like he had on lightning boxing gloves. "Yes it is," Apollo proclaimed. And with a yell of bravery, Apollo ran towards them.

**Yep, so anyways, there's another chapter of Apollo. And the action is starting to heat up. It was my first time writing action. Please review. No flames please.**

**Originally, I was going to end this chapter in a different way, But I decided that it would take too long, and so, I split this chapter into two parts. I hope you all enjoy it.**

**Oh, and by the way, I have a special gift for my readers Becket Simpleton, and Captain Holly Short of the L.E.P. If you go to my YouTube page, (which is listed on my author profile,) there's a video there called Heart Shape Box. It's a gift from me to you. I recorded myself playing the drums, guitar, bass, and doing the vocals to the Nirvana song, and then mashed it all together, and produced it. I heard Becket was a major Nirvana fan, and I think Captain Holly likes a bit of Nirvana too. So I made the video for both of you, as a way to say thank you for all the reviews, and all the hits.**

**The only thing I asked, is for you two to view the video, and send it to as many people as possible. It would really mean a lot to me. I am hoping to get a career in music.**

**Points to anyone who caught The Dirty Harry refrence.**

**Anyways, thank you, and the next chapter is coming very, very soon.**

**PLEASE REVIEW.**


	10. Discovery, part 2

**Hello everybody. When I was currently writing this, I had a horrible case of a stomach virus. It was basically a whole two days of hell. But, I cleaned myself up, got better, got some rest, and now I'm back. I hope you all enjoy the next chapter. **

**Song: Omen; By: The Prodigy. **

"_People keep thinking that a fighting style is going to save their ass in a fight. You know what type of fighting style saves your ass the most; two feet running the opposite direction!"_

_Korey Coleman._

_-from the Podcast: A Couple of Cold Ones._

When Apollo tried to land his first punch, he completely missed. Marcellus leaned to the left. Apollo's momentum caused him to almost fall flat on his face. Apollo was able to catch himself, with his hands. Turning around, He noticed that Jack was now squirming on the ground. The other three goblins faced Apollo with crossed arms and wicked smiles. Seeing a new target, Marcellus, Phillip, and Taren were about to participate in a gang fight, much to their anticipation and excitement.

However, they completely underestimated their opponent. For Apollo, with all his strength and all his ability, got right back up…..

and got pure contact on Marcellus with an upper cut; squarely in the jaw.

A normal uppercut would have just shaken Marcellus, and possibly cause bruising. This….this was different. The uppercut, combined with Apollo's electric powers, was like if a mini-nuclear bomb, went off right next to Marcellus's jaw. The Goblin flew back a couple of feet, did a couple of somersaults, and flipped over into a dumpster canister.

Phillip and Taren were stunned. The sight of some stranger, who looked like half human-half elf, lay the smack down on their boss with lightning…it was just too much for them to handle.

Apollo cheered with much excitement. "Yeah, I kicked his ass!" Apollo exclaimed with much excitement.

Marcellus at this point, arose from the dumpster. He got rid of an icy goo that was all over his face, and revealed a dark scowl, before created a fire ball in his hand, and chucked it at Apollo.

"Oh shit!" Apollo screamed, as he ducked away from the fireball. Noticing that he was crouched on the ground, he saw one of the goblins legs. Apollo swept the legs of the goblin to his right. Apollo got up, and for extra measure, created a ball of electricity and shocked his neck; sort of like a taser.

One goblin was down; two more were left.

Apollo threw his elbow back trying to hit the goblin behind him. He was mortified when he didn't hit anything, and suddenly Apollo felt himself get lifted off his feet. Two arms from behind him, wrapped around his forearms, and locked behind his head. Marcellus caught up with Phillip, who held Apollo at bay, and Marcellus repeatedly struck Apollo in the face with his fist.

The pain was unbearable. At first, His face burned with the feeling off the capillaries busting under his skin. As they healed, the soreness of a bruise took over like icy. Apollo kicked and squirmed, trying to break free. An inspiration struck him. He shifted the lightning from his hands, to his feet. Immediately, when his feet collided with Marcellus legs, the power was so tremendous, Marcellus flew back a couple of feet.

Apollo reached behind him, shifting the power back to his hands, he shocked Phillip, grabbed him, and threw him over his back. Phillip landed on top of Marcellus, who was on the ground a couple a feet away.

This was intense. He was actually having a real fight. A shame no one was watching this. If someone was watching this, he'd officially be a superhero.

But someone was. As Apollo turned his head, he saw an awestruck and completely mystified fairy, watch this fight go on in front of him. The fairy looked frighten. Apollo, with much frustration and anger, shouted 3 words, that no matter what species you are, it's recognizable.

"CALL THE POLICE!" Apollo shouted to the fairy, before Apollo was tackled by both Marcellus and Phillip at the same time. Apollo struggled for a bit to become free. He used a short burst of energy, for lightning to flash out everywhere. Marcellus and Phillip were thrown back, the incredible lightning powers pushing them back and into the air, before colliding with the ground.

The fairy that Apollo ordered ran into the coffee shop that was behind Apollo, and only a few yards away. Once the fairy burst inside, he stated one of the most insane and craziest thing anybodywould possibly ever hear.

"Holy crap! There's a human boy out there with lightning powers fighting a bunch of goblins like a super hero." Small pause. "IT'S FUCKING AWESOME!"

* * *

Trouble was dismayed.

Over the years, Trouble began to realize that he was beginning to hate his job. Yes, being a commander had all of its advantages. He got to boss some people around, and the job was very simple to do. Yet, it's advantages were also it's disadvantages. After a while, having all of that power became….boring. On top of that, it's simplicity almost made his sick. He loved being on recon. He loved working out in the field. Now, he was trapped in a fake office that was nothing more than a coffin. He felt confined. He wanted to break free.

Which was why he begged Lili to tell him what she was laughing about.

She came in, a couple of minutes earlier, stating that she had a job for him to do, before breaking down and laughing to the point that Trouble thought she would vomit. Trouble was somewhat curious as to why Lili was laughing. And because she ran into the room, stating that she had a job for him to do, the curiosity was tremendous. Trouble asked Lili, who was clutching her stomach and laughing hardly, to calm down, and tell him what she was trying to say.

Once she was finally calm, but still chuckling, Lili told him this. "Okay, so get this," Lili stated while cackling. "I was sitting in my office, taking calls, when I got this panicked store owner who owns a coffee shop in East Haven. The guy must be a psychotic or something, for he said, and I quote, 'there's a human boy outside my coffee shop, fighting a bunch of goblins, and he's firing lightning from his finger tips.'"

Trouble began to chuckle as well, at just the absurdity of the idea. "That's insane!" Trouble proclaimed with a laugh.

"I know," Lili exaggerated with a long laugh. After a while, the laughter between them stopped. With a smile, Lili stated, "Anyways, you should probably check out the coffee store owner. You know, if he truly is insane, we might want to pull a 22/50/"

"Take a man who is literally losing it, and put him in a hospital against his own will," Trouble described a 22/50 protocol. Then, shrugging his shoulders, Trouble proclaimed, "All right, I guess I got nothing better to do."

**(A few minutes later.)**

Trouble sighed as he drove the standard issue L.E.P. hovercraft across the roads in East Haven. He was deathly bored. Sure, there was a suspenseful atmosphere. Being anxious during any situation just came with the job. But there was nothing to cause a big ruckus about. Everything seemed normal. The artificial sun was shining, and there seemed to be no signs of violence.

Then, out of nowhere, Trouble kelp saw the strangest sight of them all. It seemed like a small blue light. Almost as if someone was shining a flash light against his squad car. But as he squinted and studied the object, he realized it was a ball. It was an actual solid object, and not just light.

And then, to his horror, he discovered that this object was getting closer, and closer, and closer.

Trouble ducked immediately, and the strange blue ball crushed through his windshield, and almost singed his hair. It was when he got up, that he recognized that the strange blue ball was actually a giant ball of lightning. Trouble was stunned. He couldn't believe that lighting came out of nowhere and almost killed him. He wasn't even near the weather simulators in South Haven. How the hell did lighting just appear out of nowhere?

That's when Trouble noticed more lightning; not necessarily at him, but going upwards, outwards, and all around the sky. That's when Trouble noticed the coffee shop through the hole in his windshield. It was a good distance away, but he tried to focus on the distant building. His eyes widen at the strange sight. He saw two small dark shadows, in the shape of goblins, fighting and attacking a big shadow that was the source of the lighting. The big shadow was shooting lightning from its fingertips.

"What the fuck?" Trouble exclaimed as he turned on the siren and lights, and began heading towards the strange battle.

* * *

Apollo fell on his face, and then got right back up. He started throwing giant balls and bolts of lightning at the goblins. Sometimes, he'd miss, but other times, he'd strike the goblins. He was amazed that they lasted so long. Their clothes and skin was smoldering. Sometimes, they'd fly a couple of feet in the air, and a couple of feet back, landing on the concrete with an incredible force, that no one should be able to walk away from. And yet, here they were, still alive, and still looking for a fight. When Marcellus reached him, Apollo duck, grabbed Marcellus's arm, and tried to flip him. It only resulted in Marcellus viciously striking him with the other hand. Apollo flew back and held his nose in pain. Before Marcellus could attack again, Apollo threw another bolt of lightning. It made contact with Marcellus's right shoulder, and cause the goblin to spin to the ground like a ballerina. Phillip came forward, and Apollo using two of his fingers, shocked the goblin on the neck. When he leaned forward in pain, Apollo kneed the goblin in the face, kicked him forward, and then shocked him with another bolt, causing him to fly back.

Apollo knew that the fight had to end soon. He was tired; the Goblins couldn't take much more. He knew that either he was going to die, or he was going to kill. He didn't want to kill. That was just completely against his character. But those were the only two options he had. So, before he would come to a conclusion, Apollo had to make a stand.

Apollo rushed over to Jack, who at this point was spitting up blood. Apollo stood on top of Jack, without stepping on him, hovering above Jack, protecting the victim like a true superhero would. He made it so the lighting was almost vicious, and almost striking out at anything. The "boxing gloves" were now bigger than ever before. And with an animalistic voice of courage, Apollo growled like a lion, "BACK UP! BACK UP RIGHT NOW!"

For the first time ever, in the history of mythical creatures, goblins actually did what they were told, and took a step back. Their eyes widen with surprised. They were taken back at the sight of this strange teenager, protecting Jack, with lightning buzzing around him as if he were an electoral transformer.

Marcellus had an epiphany, and slowly grew a dirty and dastardly smile. Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out a switch blade knife. Yes, it was primitive, but it was the best that Goblins could do. And even if it was a weapon out the Stone Age for most fairy folk, a switchblade knife still had that nostalgic fear and turmoil that came with it. Everyone recognize that snap, once the blade was flipped open.

And judging by how Apollo's eyes widen, and how his breathing hyperventilated, Apollo was no exception.

With a gritty, snake like voice, Marcellus told Apollo, "You better back off kid."

To this day, Apollo still doesn't know know where he got the balls, to tell the goblin, "NO! NEVER!"

Marcellus cocked his brow. He was completely puzzled and pissed off all at the same time. "What the hells the matter with you, kid? You're going to die, for some piece of shit, that you barley even know?"

That was when Apollo's motivation shifted. It was there he realized why he wanted to be a superhero. He yelled back at the Goblins, noticing the crowd gathering being the coffee shop window. "AND THERE ARE THREE ASSHOLES, LYING TO WASTE AGAINST SOME POOR GUY, WHILE EVERYONE FUCKING WATCHES!"

Marcellus immediately felt a chill go up his spine. He turned around and His face went pale. All this time, he had no clue that there was a crowd behind the main coffee shop window, watching the gang fight against this strange being. Some were taking photos. _Some _were even taking video of the fight. Marcellus's never felt stranger in his life. It wasn't remorse, but it was the strange feeling of guilt that came with remorse. Where did the guilt come from, Marcellus had no clue. But he knew that with the eyes upon him, he felt so awkward.

"AND YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME?" Apollo proclaimed, snapping Marcellus back to attention. "You want to know what my problem is? Yeah, I'd rather die. NOW BRING IT ON!"

And that was when Apollo received a reaction that he never was expecting. Marcellus stared at Apollo, right in the eyes…..and then he closed the switch blade. Grabbing Taren from the ground, he pulled him by Philip's and his side. Then, pointing at him, Marcellus said, "You're fucked up in the head kid."

And then out of nowhere, Apollo felt his ears tingle. He knew that this was sort of like a way to detect danger. But where was there danger? Suddenly, Marcellus slapped his neck as if a bug bit him. Then pulling a dart from his neck, Marcellus passed out. Suddenly, Phillip passed out as well. Both were lying on the ground, and had apparently been shot by darts.

Apollo felt a presence by his side. He turned and noticed a strange fairy. It was a male. He was normal size. He had black hair, and long limbs. And judging by the official L.E.P. jumpsuit, Apollo declared that this fairy was a cop. Besides that, there was an L.E.P. hovercraft right behind this strange fairy. In his hand, was what looked like a foam finger? Remembering the stories that Holly talked about, Apollo realized that the foam finger was a dart gun. Adding up the evidence before him, Apollo declared that the fairy had shot the two goblins.

Apollo suddenly felt weak. The battle had taken a tool on him. His muscles were sore and tired. Falling over, but being careful not to crush the goblin before him, Apollo breathed in a very long, and exaggerated breath. Suddenly, Apollo heard a small mumble from the goblin under him,

"What?" he asked the goblin.

With much pain, and with a scratchy voice, the goblin reinstated, "t-t-thank you."

Suddenly, Apollo felt a hand on his shoulder. The fairy with the foam finger dart gun came up and placed his real hand on Apollo's shoulder. With Eyes wide, and filled with suspense, Trouble Kelp asked Apollo, "Who are you?"

Crashing down to the ground, Apollo replied as he spat blood, "My name is Apollo. I'm the son of Holly and Artemis Fowl. And I should have just stayed in the shuttle."

* * *

Placing one hand over his ear trying to drown out the noise of gun fire, Artemis began to give Trouble his instructions. "Take Apollo to the L.E.P. Make sure no one sees him. Anybody can be working for Opal; Anybody. After sneaking him in, keep him under close surveillance and make sure he's only monitored by you. Hide him in your office, hide him in Foaly's. I don't care, just make sure you and you alone see him. Take care of him."

Holly then leaned over, and talked into Arty's communicator. "Oh, and don't forget to tell Apollo, that he's in big, _big, _trouble when we get there."

"Yeah," Artemis agreed. "Tell him that he's in for a _long _day." And with that, Artemis cut off the communicator, and kept his head low as the bullets continued to spray themselves inside the small convenience store.

Artemis looked over to the other shelf, and noticed Mulch and Root sitting with their backs against the shelf, and with Mulch being the only one with his fingers plugging his ears. Turing towards Artemis, Mulch mouthed the words, "Damn, this guy has a lot of bullets."

"No kidding," Holly shouted back.

Suddenly, as if on cue, the sound of gunfire began to cease. The whole room became silent. This was not the first time that this particular silence began to envelop the room. In fact, If Artemis had been counting, this would have been the twelve time that the driver had stopped firing. Artemis and Mulch looked at each other, and began to count down. The last several times, when the gun fire stopped, it would usually return no less than three seconds later. So counting down from three was the best way to establish if the gun fire had finally diminished, or if the driver was only reloading again.

_3…2…1…._

Apparently, this time was different. Everyone in the room seemed confused. 30 seconds had passed, and yet no more bullets seemed to fire. Mulch whispered with much concern towards Holly and Artemis, "Is it over?"

And that's when it happened. During the mist of the confusion, people began to search the room, trying to find the driver once more. Root, at this point, peaked his head out from the left side of the shelf. He looked towards the back, and noticed a table had been turned over, and used as a fort.

And then, all of a sudden-_BANG!_

The deathly sound of gun fire screeched through the room with a mortifying, ear-splitting tone. Holly watched in horror, as the clone of her old commander, clutched his right fore-arm as soon as the sound echoed in the room. She watched blood flow out from his arm and spray itself on the floor. She watched him fall to the floor, and seem to pass out.

"ROOT! NO!" she screamed.

Artemis rushed out from behind the shelf, and ran to Root's side, staying low as he dodged more bullets. When he finally reached his side, Artemis took his vitals. He seemed okay, but he knew that if Root's bullet wound wasn't healed soon, he would be in critical condition. Artemis scolded himself for doing this. He knew it was a completely risky move that he was about to perform.

"I know my wife is going to hate me for doing this," Artemis stated as blue sparks began to dance around his fingers. "But it looks like I'm going to have use the last of our magic to heal your wound." Artemis placed the magical hand on Root's for arm. The bullet popped out like a novelty item. The skin and muscle began to reattach itself. Where there once was a giant gaping hole, there now was a normal piece of flesh.

"Speaking of your wife, where is she?" Mulch asked as he pointed behind Artemis.

Artemis turned around in shock at this statement. His mouth opened in horror, as he noticed that the shelf where his wife was once accompanied at was now vacant. His wife had gone AWOL during the middle of a firing match. This was the worst possible time to go missing. Artemis franticly searched the dark convenience store with his eyes, and then finally found his wife. To his utter horror, she was running towards the shooter with amazing speeds. And with her animalistic eyes of anger, it looked like she was going to attack.

"HOLLY, NO!" Artemis screamed in agony as he feared for his wife's safety.

Strangely, and almost impossibly, the shooter missed every single shot as Holly got closer and closer. Suddenly, he ran out of bullets. His eyes widen in fear as the gun clicked, but no explosion was heard.

Holly then jumped. She grabbed on to one of the hanging lights from above, and used it to swing herself, and strike the man in her jaw with feet.

She landed safely behind the man as the man clutched his jaw in agony. She grabbed one of his hands and began to pin it behind his back. With a rush, she charged forward and slammed the man into a wall. She then grabbed the back of his head, by his hair, and repeatedly slammed his face against the wall. His skull cracked and blood began to flow.

But Holly wasn't done there. As the man bounced back, she used an old tactic she learned from years training the academy. Using the momentum, she climbed on his back in a 'Piggy back' stance, flipped the guy head over heels. Once he landed, Holly was now towering above him.

With a quick heel to the temple, the driver died instantly.

The whole gang was stunned, but Artemis was the most surprised out of all of them. He knew that his wife was a very strong woman, and he had seen her in combat many times before in the past. But it had been ten years since the last time Artemis watched his wife in action. He had no clue that she still had it in her. He was ashamed to think that the spark of battle diminished so long ago. He felt a little guilty to think that Holly had lost her vicious and powerful touch, and became nothing more than his wife.

Holly was surprised herself. She didn't exactly think that she had lost her ability, but she was surprised in it of itself, that she was able to bounce back immediately and without hesitation, even though it had been forever since she last laid down some whop-ass. The adrenaline pumping through her was powerful. It felt good to back in action.

Artemis, Mulch, and the newly re-healed Root began to walk forward. They all stared down upon the body. He was a big man; muscularly powerful and very athletic. He seemed like a man who fought cops, and laughed in their faces. He was now killed, by, of all things, a girl. As they stared down at the body, a small thought popped into Mulch's head.

"After seeing how amazing well you kicked this guy's ass," Mulch proclaimed, "I feel pity for poor Apollo."

Artemis looked up at his wife. Both of them shot approving glances and shook their heads in a 'yes,' motion. Apollo had every reason to be frightened now. And he'd better be. Apollo was in some major trouble, indeed.

**Well, that was another chapter. Short, I know, but it was originally just part of the last chapter that I had to cut off due to length. Anyways, as I'm finishing this chapter now, the stomach virus is gone. Court warming was okay, but it didn't last very long and due to my recent break up, I barley had anyone to dance with during the slow songs. But the next day made up for that in such a big and better way. **

**Why? Two words, Ozzy Osborne. **

**I got to see the prince of darkness, Live! The show was spectacular! Was it as great as Roger Waters?...no. but still, it was pretty damn fun, and not to mention every song was a head banging master piece. If you do have the means, I highly recommend seeing his show.**

**Once again, thank you all for reading. PLEASE REVIEW! **


	11. Those Damn Blue Collar Poloticians

**I sincerely apologize to all of my readers and reviewers for the long-ass update. I tried sending most of you PM's to explain that I was going to be gone for a while, (and I tried sending to most of you, but I think some didn't get it. I don't remember to well. If you didn't get a PM, and if that's the case, I take full responsibility for not updating you, It's all my fault, and I am extremely sorry) and that still doesn't make up the fact that I didn't update in time. Who do I blame? Two things. 1; Myself; for not informing you in time. And two; the people responsible for planning my FFA Speaking contest. Apparently, for months, MONTHS before the committee even got together, I was informed by teachers, classmates, staff, and FFA leaders that speaking contest ALWAYS began on March 6****th****. Then, I wrote my speech, informed you guys of my incoming school work and preparation, and re-read that speech so much, that's it's now part of my DNA. Then, I woke up March 6****th****, went to my FFA teacher, and he said, and I quote, "Sorry, the dates got changed. Poultry and knowledge contest are now on March 6****th****. You're contest begins March 23****rd****."**

**I swear, I thought I was going to explode.**

**I still blame myself for not choosing to write and instead decided to study my speech more. (Which in hindsight, actually turned out as the better choice because I got 1****st**** in both chapter and district contest. Woot!)**

**So again, I sincerely apologize for my long hiatus. So, without further interruption from personal life, here it is the newest chapter of Apollo.**

**Song: "Those Damn Blue Collar Tweekers." By: Primus. **

**(BTW, on my YouTube page I did another one man bad, except this time, I have done this song by Primus. So if you want to hear it, the link to my YouTube profile is on my author's page. I suggest you look at it at least once, because I think it really turned out well, and I know you'll possibly like it, even if funk-fusion metal isn't your cup of tea. Please Comment, like, subscribe, and share.)**

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"_Steroids; I want the steroid testing to stop, immediately. The Mitchell report, the F.B.I's Roger Clement's investigation, the federal court trial for one Barry bleeping Bonds…end it all, and end it now. I want the biggest, baddest, baseball players, and football maniacs, and biking teams this planet has ever seen. We've had the wrong attitude going since day one on this folks. Okay, if you want to prosecute athletes for taking performance enhancing drugs? Well what about you. Viagra, ephemeral, Botox, Advil, Nightquil, Dayquil, Budweiser, Pot, Cocaine, Zanex, Prozac, you name it, someone in this country is taking it right now to improve their sex life, semen count, leg strength, nasal congestion, ager management, bowel movements, piss volume, and tit size. And you want to bust the guy for taking a human growth hormone, just before he rides on the tour to France? WAKE THE FUCK UP! Hell, if you want me to ride a bike down the French country-side, I'll need a shit load of drugs just to make it down the street; human growth hormone being the least of my worries."_

_Excerpt from Denis Leary's book, "__Why we suck; a field good guide to staying fat, lazy, and stupid."_

The thing about the L.E.P. that most fairies forget to mention is that during the late afternoon, (which, in mud man time, would be very early morning since fairies are nocturnal creatures) The L.E.P. is extremely busy. And even when one proclaims that The L.E.P. is overworked, it is still an understatement to the activity that arises in the late afternoon for all the officers. The main reason for so much commotion in the afternoon is due to the protests. Lately, many goblins would come by and gather around the plaza of the L.E.P. station to protest against the harsh treatment of their goblin brethren. Some of the protesters were the demographic stereotypical goblin gang members; Male goblins in the early 80's (which in Mud man Years, would be around 20-ish) with multiple tattoos, piercings, and horrible vocabulary, literacy, and social skills. But, the majority of the protestors, strangely enough, were Goblin mothers around 200 years of age. Apparently, if not surprisingly, goblin mothers were getting increasingly upset at how the police treated, "their babies," and would protest for equal rights and release of certain goblins. These goblin women were furious, and the phrase, 'hell hath no fury than a woman scorned,' meant double for these ladies. They were straight up obnoxious, crazy, outlandishly emotional, and purely hell to deal with, and there were numerous reasons why these constant protests against the L.E.P. were a bad thing.

But for Apollo, and Trouble, it was a good thing. Why is that, you may ask? It was a distraction. No one would notice, or care, about what was happening outside the protests. It would be a breeze to slip Apollo past security, and enter the building through the backdoor. All that Trouble had to do was cover Apollo in camo-foil, quietly pull the hovercraft to the back of the Police station, sneak the teenager into his office, and everything would be in its right place. .

Apollo watched the protesting in awe through the back windows as Trouble drove around the station. Afterwards, Trouble wrapped him in camo-foil, and they proceeded to embark on the hardest part of quote unquote mission yet; trying to sneak Apollo past security.

At first, Trouble thought he was going to have trouble, (pun intended) trying to sneak Apollo past his fellow colleges and into his private office. (I mean, picture how hard it would be to sneak a 5 foot teenage hybrid between a human and fairy into your office which was 12 cubicles down.) But, the gods were in Trouble's favor that day. For, when he left, the small protest outside, was only small. Now, the protest had expanded into a wildly huge protest that was creating havoc in the building, as well as outside the building. All of his colleges were scrambling to keep things in order, so no one was able to notice Trouble holding out his hand as if he was guiding someone behind him, (or the two giant pairs of sneakers seeming to walk along side him without a body.)

When Apollo entered the office, Trouble locked the door behind him, assisted Apollo in removing the foil, and then asking Apollo for one small request.

"Can you do that 'spark' thing again with your hands?" Trouble asked as he looked up to stare the teenager straight in the eyes.

With a hint of mischief in his eyes, Apollo gave off a calm breath, lifted up his right hand as if he was holding a basketball with his fingertips, and almost immediately, small blue sparks of electricity began to dance around the diameter of his fingers like little worms for an early bird.

Trouble's face was painted with the broad brush of excitement. Almost losing his sanity, Trouble gave off a full hearty chuckle, looked back at Apollo, and, with his voice squeaking due to the intense exhilaration, Trouble proclaimed, "Oh man! That's so cool."

"Thank you," Apollo stated as he kept the sparks flickering in his hand. He tried his hardest not to sound smug, but his face was nothing but. Could you blame him? He held the power of electricity in the palm of his hand. No mere mortal could do this. Only a hybrid could produce such a bewildering and astounding talent.

Troubled turned to his desk chair, and flopped on it without reserve. His immediate amount of intense work that he was involved in earlier, left him drained of energy. As he turned the chair towards Apollo, he placed his feet on his desk, and noticed something strange. Apollo starred at his hand of power, in completely confusion as well. He was concentrating on his hand like a war general concentrates on strategic plans.

Trouble, was completely mystified by Apollo's power as well. Pointing at the glimmer of blue electrical energy, Trouble asked a very logical question, "How do you do that?"

Not paying a bit of attention, Apollo was caught off guard by the sound of Troubles voice. So the boy turned to the commanding elf, with confusion, exclaiming "Wha?"

"How do you just keep the lightning, or whatever it is, just in the palm of your hand?" Trouble asked nonchalantly as he waved his hand calmly about, assessing the situation.

"Honestly, I don't really know." Apollo replied with no hint of embarrassment in his voice. With all confidence, and some perplexity at his own powers, Apollo began to describe the process by stating, "All I do is picture in my mind the velocity, power, strength, and size of the electricity, and then, I just let go. I try not to freak out or get emotional with my powers. The last time I did, I blew out the dining room table at my mom's house back in Queen's."

"That reminds me of the first time with a neutrino gun with my brother." Trouble commented nonchalantly.

"Really? What happened?" Apollo asked with much curiosity.

Trouble began to laugh, as a small memory played over in his head. As Apollo sat down, Trouble began to tell him a funny antidote of police service. "Well, happened was Foaly, our tech guy, was giving out the newest series of neutrino's to some of the officers to try out on the range. And I was just an academy kid, and I knew it was wrong, but dammit, just the idea of having my own neutrino gun at home, all to myself…..damn, the temptation was too much. When I got home, my younger brother, Grub, who you might meet, was all interested and googoly-eyed over my gun. Granted, he was younger, and it was a Neutrino, but after a while, you get kind of frustrated when your brother just glares at you nonstop, you know….._and I was a kid. _I wasn't really thinking straight. I'm fresh out the academy and I was a little reckless. A bit of a loose screw. So, with much revenge, I decided to prank my brother by giving him the neutrino gun and telling him that it was on low and he could fire it around the house. Unfortunately for him, I actually had the thing set on blast. Being an idiot, he decided to fire the gun. Now, I was ignorant, and I knew full and well that he was going to fire somewhere in the house. I didn't think he'd hit our mother's precious china cabinet. I swear, I thought she was going to shit bricks."

Apollo laughed for a good long minute at this small story the commander told. He could see the images in his head; the small and agitating brother, the big ass burst of flame, the horrified and angry mother. Then, another thought popped into that little hybrid brain the teenager supported. With a dirty grin, Apollo stated mischievously, "When my dad here, I'm pretty sure he'll be shitting bricks as well."

Trouble gave forth a small mutter; almost like a chuckle. Then he opened his drawer, finding the fungus cigars, and pulling one out to light. It was a habit for most commanders to get hooked on fungus cigars. Once you've attended enough academy graduation ceremonies, you hit the cigars pretty hard, and fairy cigars, much like mud men cigars, were highly addictive.

Trouble lit the cigar, and puffed out rings of smoke in Apollo's face for torment. The aroma was sweet, yet nauseating. Trouble gave forth a small cackle as he watched Apollo, hilariously smack away the cloud of smoke around his face. As Trouble pulled out the cigar from his mouth, he began to speak.

"So you're Arty's kid, huh? The demon spawn from hell that millions of officers were shaking in their boots over when we heard Holly was pregnant?" Trouble stated with a high authoritarian voice in a completely sarcastic manner. Then, with all sincerity, he asked, "What's it like?"

"Huh?" Apollo replied, not sure of what the commander asked at first. Then, after realizing the question, he was still confused. "Oh….uh….I don't know. What am I suppose to say? It's completely awesome? I've only known Artemis and Holly for like eight hours, I'm not sure if it's cool or not."

"Those powers are cool." Trouble replied pointing at the hand Apollo had up earlier.

"What's strange about these powers," Apollo proclaimed as he held up his hand and began the sparks once more, "is the fact that I only had these powers for like eight hours, and I already defended myself against a goblin gang."

"Not that well, might I add." Trouble proclaimed as he pointed at the kids face, where the scars of earlier healing were evident. "You looked like shit when I found you."

"Yeah, I got my _ass handed _to me." Apollo said. "Still, I don't understand why these powers come to me so naturally."

"I would be more worried about what's going to happen to you when Fowl shows up, rather than your powers." Trouble stated with a bit of torment in his eyes.

"He can kiss my ass." Apollo proclaimed as if it were instinct.

"Aren't you not worried?" Trouble asked, confused. "I know I'm not that fearful of Artemis, but ever officer here, especially my brother, is fucking terrified of the guy. I'd be shaking in my boots if I was you. I think for him, 'grounded' would be on a whole other playing field."

Apollo sighed happily at this remark. Knowing that his father gave the chills to all other police officers…well….it was pretty nostalgic on some level. It was just cool. How many kids could say that they had a dad that the police trembled in fear over?

"I know I'm in trouble; I accept whatever punishment that professor dickwad gives." Apollo stated. "I think Arty would be doing the wrong thing if he decided to let me slide. But honestly, I don't care. I'm not afraid of him. He can bring on the big guns; I'm not relenting on being a brat. This is punishment for the years he was absent. And yes, I know it wasn't all that bad. He did the right thing when the authorities told him that he had to give me up. He gave me a life of luxury, and I'm thankful for that. But he could have at least sent me a fucking postcard, you know. So I'm not going to listen to him any time soon. One day, I will respect him. And one day, I will listen to him. But I promise you, it won't be soon." and Apollo finished with a powerful snicker.

"You're in _sooo _much trouble." Trouble proclaimed as he laughed and sucked on his cigar.

"DAMN STRAIGHT!" A voice bellowed from behind them.

Apollo turned around to face one of the most recognizable and most feared personas in fairy history. Apollo smiled in nostalgia. It had only been a few short hours since he met him, but Artemis's voice was never going to get tiring. Standing before Trouble and Apollo, was the angriest, maddest, and the extremely pissed off version of Artemis that no one had ever seen. It looked as if though his head would explode.

"THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING!" Artemis screamed as he walked in. He took three righteous steps forward as Holly, Mulch, Root (who had on a giant had, blocking out his face so no one could recognize him,) and a strange creature that Apollo never seen before (though he could clearly tell it was a centaur,) walked into Trouble's office behind him. Artemis face could have struck fear in even the biggest mob bosses our evil villains alive, or dead. However, Apollo only looked into his father's eyes with a mischievous, and yet all knowing stare. His body language, on the other hand, seemed very intimidated. And who wouldn't be intimated by Fowl, as he began his giant rant.

"WE SPECIFICALLY TELL YOU NOT TO LEAVE THE SHUTTLE? AND WHAT DO YOU DO? NO ONLY DO YOU DISSOBEY US, YOU GET INTO A GOBLIN FIGHT INFRONT OF THE PUBLIC EYE!" Artemis cried out in anger. "WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF?"

Apollo looked away from his father's eyes. Not because he was ashamed of himself, but because his instincts told him so. It was a standard reaction from a child when their parents were chastising them. Finally looking back up, Apollo told his father without fear, "I wanted to see the city."

"YOU COULD HAVE LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW!" Artemis yelled without reserve. Luckily Holly slammed the door shut behind her when she walked in, so no one could hear the family argument. And speaking of Holly…

"You could have gotten yourself killed!" Holly screamed as she walked over to her husband's side. "Do you realized the danger that you placed yourself in?"

"Yeah!" Apollo accidently shouted back, his self control finally slipping.

"So why did you do it?" Holly proclaimed with anger.

"BECAUSE I WANTED TO KNOW YOU!" Apollo screeched. "I wanted to see where you lived. I wanted to see where you grew up. I wanted to believe you, but I couldn't without seeing the city!"

"Uh, may I interrupt?" Trouble asked raising a hand and an eyebrow, placing the cigar out of his mouth to speak clearly.

Immediately, the temporarily dysfunctional family all gave Trouble a glare that would have stopped anyone's heart. It was a stare that contain the fiery depths of hell. And at first, even trouble was taken back by the dirty looks he received. But then he recollected his cool, and continued with what he wanted to say.

"I just had a couple of questions I wanted to ask." Trouble stated.

Artemis looked back and forth between Apollo, Holly, and Trouble, before finally losing all anger that was within him, and then deciding to look up to Trouble once more and command, "Shoot."

"Well, first off, how did you get past security?" Trouble asked with only a hint of curiosity.

"That is where I come into the picture," Foaly proclaimed with his chest puffed out in pride.

"Who's this?" Apollo asked as he pointed to the centaur.

"That is our technical consultant, Foaly." Trouble told Apollo.

Apollo studied the centaur for a long time. He was fairly tall to the lad, (though, as centaur sizes come, he was actually considered somewhat small) and looked like a cross between his neighborhood hobo and a hipster. He had a very big, blonde, beard that stretched across his chin. His big nose almost completely covered the rest of his facial features. He seemed somewhat scrawny, and his horse body was fairly in good shape. And to top it off, he had possibly, the longest mane that Apollo ever saw on a horse. It was brown, lengthy, and came all the way from the top of his head, to the middle of his back.

"You look like you should belong in Narnia, not the L.E.P." Apollo commented.

"Har, Har, Har," Foaly sarcastically replied. "Just you wait until Artemis here punishes you, then we'll see whose making the wise-ass comments."

"Coming from you, that sounds shocking." Trouble said before taking another long puff of his cigar. Then, puffing out more smoke rings, he asked, "So how'd you do it donkey boy?"

"Really commander, I find that shocking," Foaly stated with a fake look of astonishment. "You do remember the camo-foil suits I invented. Not trying to brag, sort of, but the council found my camo-foil suites to be the top notch of L.E.P. stealth technology. You do remember all the press attention I got. Right? Or has that fungus cigar addiction finally caught up with your memory.

"Laugh it up you pack mule." Trouble grumbled between cigar puffs. In all honesty, once in a while, Foaly's wise ass would become a little too unbearable for the commander. "Now, for my second question," Trouble proclaimed as pointed his cigar like a teacher points his or her ruler to a chalk board, "who's that in the back?"

The group of people parted like the red sea. Standing in the back was one rather questionable looking elf. He sported a very big looking hat that would have been the envy of Indiana Jones. His long brown trench coat gave him a mysterious aura, and Trouble couldn't help but think that the elf looked familiar. Trouble at this point, looked right back up at Foaly, who seemed somewhat embarrassed. He avoided eye contact with the commander as rubbed the back of his neck, while showing off an agitated smile.

"Yeah…..Uh…..I also am somewhat responsible for that." Foaly admitted with an ashamed tone. "I…..kinda….somewhat….cloned a personal friend of ours."

"Who?" Trouble asked as he looked back at the stranger, sorting through the list of friends in his head, trying to identify the elf.

And that's when the stranger in the back, with the brown trench coat and hat, began to speak.

"Oh, come now Trouble." Julius proclaimed with sardonic love, "You can't honestly say you don't remember your former boss."

Like a child on Christmas morning, Trouble sprang from his seat without reserve; full of energy and power. He ran to Julius with such a velocity as if he were shot out of a cannon. Gripping him in a ferocious bear hug, Trouble proclaimed "JULIUS, OH THANK GODS YOU'RE BACK!"

"Technically, no." Julius proclaimed as he pushed his past companion back so he could listen to the words he was about to say. "I'm just a clone of Julius; number 6 in a series of 8. You can thank Foaly for that."

"Thank Foaly indeed." Artemis stated with his signature vampire smile a mischievous tone. As he turned towards Apollo, he noticed that Holly, as well, seemed to sport that same creepy smile that Artemis did, and it was enough to send shivers down Apollo's spine. "After a long talk, Holly and I came up with the perfect way to punish you. And Foaly, is going to carry out that punishment. He's what you'd call, our 'secrete weapon.'"

"Okay, now I understand what I did was wrong." Apollo defended himself while holding up his hands. "And I know that I have to be punished. So please, make it quick. I'll accept whatever punishment you give me."

"Good," Artemis proclaimed with an evil tone present. "Because I can honestly tell you that this punishment is….shall we say….torturous."

Fearing the worst, Apollo broke down like a faulty computer. "Please! PLEASE! DON'T TAKE AWAY MY IPOD. MUSIC IS MY LIFE!"

"Relax," Foaly proclaimed as he stepped forth. "We're not taking away your precious music, just your powers."

Before Apollo could even proclaimed in disbelief and shock, "You WHAT!" Three things happened all at once. These three events happened at such an incredible speed, it was almost like a blur. 1.) Apollo felt something cold and wet brush across his arm. If he had better reflexes, he would have realized that it was the fairy equivalent to the cotton swab before doctors gave patients shots. 2.) Foaly pulled out basically, the strangest and most abnormal device that the teenager ever saw in his life. It looked like a cross between a drum-stick, and a thermometer. At the end of the stick, was a large, circular, blunt object with a hole in the middle. And finally 3.) Foaly took that object, and stuck it right in Apollo's arm. The teenager heard the sound of pressurized air getting released (sort of like a soda bottle opening.) and then, he felt the pain. It was a short lived pain, but painful none the less. It was sharp, searing, and hot; really, _really _hot! It was as if fire was rapidly spreading across his arm, and then around his entire body. While it was painful, it only lasted for a mere three seconds. Then, in a flash, the pain was gone. Looking up at Foaly with the widest eyes of shock, the flabbergasted teenager demanded an explanation from Foaly.

"That is how we down here in the L.E.P. give vaccines." Foaly stated as he began to explain. "You see, a long time, centuries ago, when Hybrids were vast along this great city of ours, we had a major problem. Hybrid kids would grow up, puberty would strike them, and their powers would become too much to handle. So little Johnny fu fu the fairy and Perry the pixie would get into a playground and scuffle and _oh what do you know, _Johnny just accidently killed his best friend. So, around my….3rd year here as the main technical consulted, I invented this vaccine that worked on all types of powers, was compatible with all hybrids, and had no side effects whatsoever. It was an amazing feat of engineering, if I do say so myself."

"What does it do?" Apollo demanded angrily, as Foaly's babbling and self-promotion was teasing him to the point of breaking.

"Well, simply put, it neutralizes you powers and make you disarmed, and completely unable to use your powers."

"FOR REAL!" Apollo screamed in agony, as the truth hurt him very much.

"Sadly, it will only last for two hours. Then, your parents can give you one of the multiple vaccines I loaned to them on their behalf."

"Yeah," Holly proclaimed. And then, with the most sarcastic voice possible, she place one hand on her hip, wagged her finger and stated, "no more super powers for you young man."

"You mean to seriously tell me that I can't have my powers under any circumstances?" Apollo asked with much dismay.

"Go ahead. Try it out." Artemis smugly proclaimed.

Apollo lifted up his hand in a serious and anger infested fashion. He focused as hard as he could, to bring those dancing sparks back into his hands. Sadly, nothing happened. And it didn't take long for the teenager to notice. Looking back on his hand, he focused all of his energy, all of his emotions, and all of his attention towards his hands, and trying to place those powers to emit electricity. Nothing happened. Apollo was distraught. He would not take no for an answer. Backing away from his parents, he swung his left arm violently out in front of him, as if he were throwing a baseball with all his might. Still, no powers. That's when Apollo decided to kick his right leg up, trying to force the powers into his leg. It was a mistake on his part. Due to the furious power behind the kick, Apollo lost balance, and like a bad dancer, he fell flat on his back in front of everyone. Even Artemis could hold back laughing at Apollo making a fool of himself. Everyone bellowed with laughter when Apollo fell. And while, at first, Apollo was wrecked with anger and embarrassment as he glared at his family and new friends laughing at him, a few seconds later, Apollo calmed down, and decided to laugh at himself. It was completely embarrassing, and he was upset that he lost his powers, but there was nothing in his power, (pun intended again,) for him to do. He might as well just laugh and enjoy the ride.

After Apollo stood up, and laughed for a bit, Julius called the room to order.

Waving his arms like an umpire symbolizes safe, Root laughed out loud, "Okay, Okay. As funny as that was, we have some serious business to attended to."

"Such as?" Holly asked with an inquisitive brow.

"Well," Root proclaimed as he stepped forth from the corner of the room. Mulch followed alongside him, and began to reach into his coat pocket. "Me and Mulch here discovered something incredible recently, after our little brush with the truck driver earlier."

As the gang gathered around Trouble's desk, Mulch finally was able to pull out whatever he was reaching into his coat pocket for. Laying it out on the table, Mulch revealed to the gang a giant, holographic picture, of an arm. What was curious about this arm was it contained a tattoo. It was a picture of a sparrow, flying along the side of a giant tombstone. The sparrow was obviously dead, and flowing from the tombstone, was a vine of roses and lilies.

"What's this?" Trouble asked with much curiosity.

"It's the truck driver's right forearm; just along the edge of his wrist." Mulch pointed out. "And that is the new Koboi enterprise logo."

"You see," Root began. "As most of you know, fairies cannot have tattoos. Our healing abilities simply bloat out the ink in our skin. But, there is one way to give a tattoo to a fairy. There's this one periodic element, Arsenic, which our bodies cannot repel against if injected into the body. So, if someone were to mix arsenic with ink, they could give us elves tattoos."

"Why's this relevant with Koboi?" Trouble asked.

"Well, Arsenic is not commonly found in nature." Mulch stated. Everyone was shocked to hear Mulch actually with his facts straight. "Arsenic is usually found as a compound. However, there is one place, where Arsenic can be found if someone were to mine, or insert a power plant there."

"Where?" Artemis asked.

With a cocky smile, Mulch eagerly proclaimed, "The Sahara desert."

"So Opal _is _in the Sahara desert." Artemis exclaimed with much happiest at this revelation. "You just don't know the exact coordinates."

"Exactly," Mulch stated in agreement. "But we will know once we find this Marvin Lawrence guy in France." Then, the dwarf repeatedly began shaking his head back and forth, as if he was trying to draw away information from his mind. "But that's beside the point." Mulch exclaimed as he pointed to the picture of the arm. "The point is, whoever has this Tattoo, is one of Opal's double agents."

Suddenly, without warning, but as if on cue, the door to Trouble's office immediately opened. This sudden noise caught everyone off guard, and with a momentary gasp in unison, the gang looked towards the door. Standing there in front of them was a dark shadows and layouts of five people. Four silhouettes were broken up into groups of four and stood on either side of the door. One, rather large and defiant silhouette, stood a few steps away from the door, and smilingly in the middle of the room. When he looked up, his face was revealed; much to the shock of Holly, Fowl, and Trouble. And when he spoke, his voice echoed with a calm tone, yet with a dangerous hint of harm.

"Good evening Miss Fowl," the tall elf with a high council member suit on proclaimed. "I wasn't expecting to see you here; not since we banished you."

Holly was not afraid of this person. She rather didn't care much for this man. In fact, a long time ago when Apollo was born, Holly remembered meeting this man out in the parking lot, and giving him a swift knee to the groin for commanding her and Arty's son to be given up for adoption. Still however, when this man walked into the room, the atmosphere that surrounded him was filled with dread. He was none other than…

"Sorry to disturb you Councilman Lope." Holly stated with very little, yet still present, fear in her voice. "I hope that this doesn't demand for punishment by the high council. I was just here to discuss L.E.P. operations with my friend Foaly, and my commander Trouble."

"And you brought along Artemis, Mulch, your son, and a stranger to do so?" Lope asked inquisitively as he cocked a brow.

It was at this point, when reality came rushing back to her. Realizing that she was surrounded by people she loved, she began to feel very awkward. She was now out in the open like a sitting duck. She had no way to excuse herself of committing high treason, by re-entering Haven, even though she had been banished. Still, out of impulse, she began, "Sir, I can explain-"

"No need to." Lope cut her off. "I wish you no harm in any way." He continued. Then, with a grin, he stated, "I came here to see your son."

Now this was something no one was expecting. The comment alone caused all the air in the room to escape and get sucked away, leaving the tension in the room like a vacuum; sucking everyone into it. It was a shot out of left field, and it left the gang wide eyed, and completely bewildered.

"Okay, how did you know?" Artemis asked without reserve.

"Well, we heard about the recent gang fight through one of our manual air wave control listening centers. The fairy internet was immediately flooded with chat room blogs, internet videos, and any other article relating to the gang fight in an instant when it happened. But what caught our workers' attention, was the fact that the words 'mud-man,' and 'lightning,' kept popping up a lot in the servers. So watching the video, our staff was immediately able to recognize dear Apollo. Figuring, that he got picked up by the cops, we came to the L.E.P. station. Thus, here we are." Lope proclaimed. Then looking towards Apollo, who was standing to the left of his father, very intimidated by the situation at hand, Lope commented to the teenager, "You were quite the hero young man.'

The pressure melted away from Apollo by that statement only. Brushing off the fear, Apollo stood up with his back straight, and proclaimed to Lope, "Thank you, sir."

Looking down and up again, Lope had a nervous body language present. Then when he finally stopped flinching for just a bit, Lope asked the lad, "I was wondering, if I would have the opportunity to shake the hand of such a courageous young man. It would be an honor."

Apollo was taken aback by this statement. His eyes widen in surprised. This complete stranger, yet high authority figure, wanted to shake _his _hand; Apollo's hand. Not only that, but he thought _it would be an honor. _He was barley Haven, and already, he was being treated like a distinguishable guest.

"Well, must be my lucky day," Apollo commented with a chuckle of happiness, as he walked from the desk towards Lope. Holding out his hand, the two met in a powerful, firm handshake.

"I know that your first name is Apollo," Lope commented with a kind heart, "But may I please have your full name?"

With a smile that nothing could penetrate, nor hide, Apollo proclaimed. "My name is Apollo Paradizzio. But….you may call me Apollo Fowl if you like."

This surprised Artemis in more ways than one. The Irish man's ears immediately perked up at the sound. It was completely astounding and bewildering, yet so cheerful and great. Why? By changing his last name, Apollo confirmed on somewhat of a level, that Artemis was indeed, his father. Apollo was slowly, but surly, coming to terms with Artemis as his dad. He was gradually accepting Arty as a father. And by that degree alone, it made Artemis almost tear up. The Irish genius had never been so happy in his life.

Apollo kept looking into Lope's eyes, as they shook each other's hand. Lope's eyes were somewhat strange. They contained kindness and generosity. That much was certain. But for some strange reason, Lope's eyes seemed to be distrustful for Apollo's taste. At first, the teenager knocked it off as Lope being a stranger. Hell, Lope was in fact, a politician after all. There was always going to be a degree of B.S. in whatever Lope did.

But sadly and tragically, the real reason for Lope's suspicious eyes was far more shocking and evil than anyone could have imagined.

"Apollo," Lope stated in a warm hearted voice.

It was the last warm thing that Lope would utter in front of Apollo and the gang.

Suddenly, at that moment

_CLICK-CL-CL-CLICK._

Apollo never knew that handcuffs could be so cold. He knew on some level, that steel was icy, but never in his dreams, did Apollo even consider handcuffs to be so cold. The metallic like feeling around his wrist was sharp, and it made Apollo wince in a pain once the cuff wrapped itself around his right arm. It left Apollo shocked and frighten. And the reason for why these handcuffs were placed upon him began a series of events that would change his, Artemis's, Holly's, Trouble's, Mulch's, Foaly's, and Julius's life, forever.

"You are under arrest by order of the high council for the murder of Phillip Tarzana." Lope frigidly stated as he cuffed Apollo.

Immediately, everyone at Trouble's desk, (with the exception of Julius, who knew better than to show his identity to Lope,) came bursting off the desk in an interstellar blast. It was as if a nuclear bomb exploded right in the room, and Artemis, Holly, Mulch, Trouble, and Foaly, were the debris.

"WHAT!" Artemis shouted as he ran to his son, and began to tug on his arm. This action was based off pure instinct alone. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT LOPE?"

"When Apollo was fighting, one goblin by the name of Philip fell to the ground, and Apollo shocked him on the neck." Lope declared. "The shock alone caused Philips brain to spontaneously combust within his skull." And with that, Lope began to tug back. "I'm sorry to say this Fowl, but your son is a murder."

"HE ACTED OUT OF SELF DEFENSE!" Holly proclaimed as she waved her arms about like a maniac. She ran up to Apollo's left arm, and began to pull herself. "GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY BABY!"

"Tell me this Holly!" Lope declared with icy passion in his voice. "What part of, knocking Philip on the ground, and then shocking him while on the ground, is self defense?"

Looking towards his son, Artemis asked with the most amount of sincerity that anyone heard Artemis use in his life, "Son, did you kill that Goblin?"

Apollo was spellbound. He was completely in panic. He had no clue what the fuck was going on. One minute, he was shaking a guy's hand. The next minute, he was getting taken away on accounts of murder. Apollo was completely flabbergasted. He was frightened. But he knew well enough to know, that he didn't kill anybody.

"NO!" Apollo screamed with much fear. "NO! I swear I didn't! He had a pulse. I felt it on his neck. I was pulling back my powers I swear!"

"SEE!" Artemis exclaimed as he gestured his hand toward Apollo. "He says he was pulling back on his powers, and that this 'Philip' character had a pulse. I can assure you, that if my son says he did not kill the man, than by God, he didn't."

"He can take that up with the court system." Lope proclaimed with an arctic-like tone. "Apollo has to go through the justice system like everyone else here in Haven."

Trouble, finally couldn't hold on to his anger any longer. Letting lose, and showing off that "Kelp," pride, Trouble shouted to Lope, "I'M A COP, AND I WAS THERE ON THE SCENE! AND I SAY HE DIDN'T DO IT!"

Replying with an equal amount, if not more anger than Trouble, Lope screeched, "AND I AM A COUNCIL MEMBER; WHICH OVERULES YOU MESLY LITTLE L.E.P. POSITION. AND I SAY THAT APOLLO COMES WITH ME!"

Everyone in this room was displaying high levels of anger. Complete and total chaos engulfed the room like a fire. There was, however, one person, (or centaur) that was calm and peaceful during this whole debacle. And when it was his turn to illustrate and explain his side of the story, and when it was time for him to present his evidence, he did it in a calm, and orderly manner, with one of the most polite tones anyone had ever heard.

"Mr. Lope," Foaly began. "I can assure you, that as a scientist, I can clearly state that Apollo has no physical way possible to kill Philip." Then, as he continued on, he showed a vague sense of infatuation in his voice. "Now, I have worked with many hybrids, for many centuries, and I can assure you that at the age Apollo is now, his powers aren't mature enough to kill somebody. Sting them like hell; yes. But Apollo cannot, will not, nor does he have the ability to kill someone. He just discovered his powers only eight hours ago. Don't you think that accusing him of Phillips death is a little….off?"

Lope quietly stared back at Foaly after the centaur presented his case. It was an arguably good. And for a while, Lope remained silent. During this silence, the gang, hoped, prayed, and wished that what Foaly said was the switch. That Lope was actually taking into consideration what Foaly had just said, and was going to let Apollo go.

"….congratulations," Lope stated with a mocking tone. "You've just found your exhibit A for the defense." And with that, Lope turned and began to walk away; Apollo getting dragged behind him.

It was crazy. All around, it was insane. The day had taken its toll for the disastrous and surprising…..and it was only going to get worst.

Before Lope could get Apollo outside the room, the teenage pulled back on Lope with incredible force. Lope was no standing in front of Apollo, who's eyes were widen with rage, as the teenage began to spat out the beginnings of a very powerful rant. "NOW LOOK HERE YOU LITTLE…"

As Apollo was preparing himself to give a powerful, hormonal filled, anger invested rant that would've brought society to its knees, Apollo's eyes drifted back down to the cuffs. This time however, instead of looking at his wrist, he looked at Lope's wrist. And that's when Apollo noticed something very strange. While Lope did have a custom made suit, he did not wear any cuff links, so his wrist was naked. And Apollo was able to make out, the faintest detail of black ink.

Struck by curiosity at this sight, Apollo lifted up on Lope's shirt sleeve to reveal a tattoo. But not just any tattoo; _THE _tattoo.

Turning his head violently back towards his father and Mother, Apollo proclaimed, "HE'S GOT THE TAT! HE'S GOT THE SPARROW!"

And then suddenly, Apollo's world went black. For, at that moment, the four other silhouettes standing on either side of the door in groups of two, turned out to be personal guards that Lope had hired. Each of the guards was equipped with a dart gun containing 400 milligrams of amitriptyline, morphine, and peroxide. At that moment, when Apollo screamed out loud that Lope was on Opal's side, the guards did as they were told to do, and fired at the necks of Artemis, Holly, Apollo, Foaly, Trouble, Mulch, and the stranger.

Not one guard missed their target.

* * *

**Dun **_**dun DUN! **_**Sorry that I had to leave you folks on a cliff hanger. I know that you think it's bogus that you've waited all this time for a cliff hanger. But….oh well. I was planning on this chapter being longer, but I swore to myself that I'd get a new chapter posted before the beginning of April. It has been a long time, and I hope you've enjoy this chapter.**

**Speaking of a long time, I won't be able to update this story for April either. *doges rocks.* Yes, I know. I am so sorry. I have a lot going on in April as well; the biggest being school of rock, EOC's and acting auditions. I have been offered, by a company down in Florida, to audition for a movie. I'm not lying. I swear to god, I'm going to audition for a movie down in Orlando in April. I promise, right after the auditions, I'll try to get back to you as soon as possible.**

**Wish me luck. Thank you and God bless.**

**Oh, and don't forget to check out the new YouTube video of me playing the song for this chapter. The link to my YouTube page is on my author profile.**

**Peace out!**


	12. Women and Children First

**Hello everybody. I have finally returned. I apologize for the extremely long update. Schooling can be a bitch; epically when EOC's come around. But all that doesn't matter now. Why? Cause SCHOOL'S OUT FOR SUMMER! I will now have all the time in the world to write my stories, and update, and create new YouTube videos. Speaking of YouTube videos, Becket Simpleton, Holly short of the LEP, I've got some presents for you. Go to My YouTube profile page (link is on my author's profile,) and I have three new video's you will most thoroughly enjoy. The first one is dedicated and aimed at both of you. WHERE IS MY MIND By THE PIXIES. It's a rock classic that I bet you two know by heart. It's one of my best ones actually. The second video is for Becket. You said that you were British, and what better way to celebrate your British culture, than to perform one of the greatest punk rock songs in history, by none other than the pioneers. ANARCHY IN THE U.K. By THE SEX PISTOLS. The last video is for you, Holly. You are a big time Radiohead fan and so am I. This is the newest video on my page, and the song is one of my Favorite Radiohead songs. OPTIMISTIC-RADIOHEAD. **

**I really hope you two get to view the videos. Please comment on them, or send me a PM as soon as you see them. **

**School of rock is going great, and the concert dates are set. June 11****th**** and June 12****th**** at the Aftershock bar and grill. I'll be sure to upload the videos so everyone can see them.**

**So, without further ado, here it is; the long awaited newest chapter of **_**APOLLO.**_

**Song: idioteque By: Radiohead**

"_My Life is really evil. I mean, there are people who are starving in the world and I drive an Infinity. That's really evil. There some people, who just starve to death; that's all they ever do. There are people, who get born, then they say, "ugh, I'm hungry," AND THEN THEY JUST DIE! Meanwhile, I'm in my car, going like 'Boom, boom, pow' and having a great time and I sleep like a baby. It's ALL MY FAULT! Because I could-I could trade my Infinity, for a really good car, like a nice Ford Focus with like no miles on it. And I get back like 20,000 dollars! And I can save hundreds of people from dying of starvation with that money, and every day I DON'T DO IT! Every day, I make them die with my car."_

_Louie C.K. _

He awoke with an ear splitting head ache. His skull was being split into two. Rocks were rummaging around inside his cranium walls, blasting themselves against bone. Something was swelling around his left nasal cavity, making it hard to breathe. Although, while breathing through his nose was difficult, it seemed as if smell wasn't diluted. The fried chicken like smell of sweat and mold was repulsive and humongous. It overloaded his cloudy and sore senses. The migraine he was experiencing cause his sight to make everything a shade of blue; as if any other color or hue would cause his headache to double in pain. The faint sound water dripping in the far off corner of some blank black space was clear and crisp. A blinding bright light was making its presence right in front of Fowl's face. The heat from the advance technological bulb burned his skin. He felt weak, sore, and tired.

Then suddenly, Fowl was filled with energy as he realized he was not the only one in his room. That fact was made startlingly clear when the noise of a sigh came to his left. Turning slightly to his left, he was greeted with the presence of auburn hair. He immediately awakened at the presence of his one and only eternal love; Holly.

"Holly," He whispered harshly as he leaned closer to his passed out wife. Suddenly, he felt restriction on his wrists, and was pulled back; the sharp stinging pain of metal cuffs against frail skin was immediate. He looked as far as he could behind him, and noticed a pair of L.E.P. traffic-cuffs attached between his wrists and the plastic chair he was in. _Blast, _he thought to himself, _damn hand-cuffs. I'm surprised; however, that a villain of Lope's magnitude and attitude refrained from using rope._

He pulled on the chair violently as he etched himself closer to his wife. The chair bounced along the floor, making loud banging sounds; metal and plastic on cold hard fairy concrete. Once he was closer, he spoke out her name, "Holly." Still no reply; unless you considered a sleepy exhale of air a reply. Then, he tried kissing her neck. That seemed to have the best affect. Like a dry piece of grass set to flame to start a fire, she awoke from her daze, slowly. Then, she lifted her head and turned towards the breath that was upon her neck. She immediately spotted Arty and she quickly snapped out of her mental and physical fog. She beamed with excitement and joy.

"Arty!" She proclaimed happily as she tried to hug him. She, as well, found out immediately that she was bounded to her chair by hand cuffs. At first, she was confused as to what was exactly restricting her. But when she heard the rattling sound of metallic chains that could only be mimicked by a pair of Traffic-Cuffs, she settled for simple head contact as her chin rested upon his collar bone. "Thank Gods you're okay." She proclaimed as she pulled back and stared into her lover's eyes. "Who else is here?" she asked curiously as her head began to twitch back and forth; L.E.P. officer training was kicking in as she began to analyze her surroundings.

"Hello! Is anyone here with us?" Artemis proclaimed loudly as he took intuitive from Holly's question. The sound of his bellow echoed through the dark canvass of the empty room. Empty; so he thought. For, as soon as Atry belted out his inquiry, he was welcomed by the sound of moans and grumbles from those around him. The darkness covered their facial features, but the noises and speech patterns alone were clearly recognizable.

"Uhh…..My jaw hasn't been this sore since I had to eat through the Koboi compound." Mulch whined without reserved.

"Quit your bitching Mulch!" A gruff voice commanded ever so loudly; clearly Root.

"Fucking hell. I've never been shot by the very darts I used. Now I know what all those goblins felt like before I tossed them in jail." Trouble mumbled with a cocky attitude that only an L.E.P. commander with experience could muster.

"Clearly, those were not my latest design." Foaly said with a strange nasal up-righteous, even though the pain was very reflective in his strained voice. "My darts are less lethal; no head ache upon reawakening either."

And then, out of the darkness, came the weakest voice of them all. It almost sent Artemis into fits of tears, for, the pained and sorrowed tone came from the strongest person that Artemis had the pleasure of now knowing. And yet it's fragileness in manner to which it was announced, was so contradicting, and ironic, it was painful to even hear.

"uhg…my head," Apollo haggard out slowly with a moan.

Immediately, Holly and Artemis turned their heads towards the source of the sound. Barley there, yet still somehow was still visible in the light; Apollo's broken and beaten face was shown clear as day. A giant swelling red mark appeared under his left eye. Small cuts and lacerations from the allergic reaction due to the darts distorted his young teenage boy face and made him deformed, yet, however, not revolting; like if Johnny Depp was asked to play _The Elephant Man. _Of course, no matter what Apollo looked like, he would never be hideous in Holly and Artemis's eyes. He was their child; their Apollo. Their love for him was so strong, that when they saw him in this broken up state, their hearts sank and almost broke in two.

"Oh god," Artemis gasped as he saw his child. Sadness filled his heart.

Hearing his voice, Apollo lifted his head, and gave forth the greatest look of bewilderment that Artemis had ever seen. Like a puppy lost in traffic, his eyes were wide and shrink-wrapped in confusing and anxious tears. And, like a bystander looking out at a lost puppy in traffic, Artemis responded with the usual plethora of emotions; shock, puzzlement and sadness.

"Artemis." Apollo asked in shock; which gave Artemis an even greater shock. _What happened to professor dickwad? _ "What the hell is going on?"

Suddenly, a new voice from the darkness made its presence known. It was a dark, maniacal, cackle, that seemed fitting in only horror movies. A lone dark figure was spotted at the very far end of the room. The light reflected off his well tone, and shined shoes. As he stepped forward, every inch of his body presented menace; making the figure out as a daunting being. He wore a very well defined suit and tie. It was the type of attire that only business men were seen in, or in this case, politician. When he stepped into the full light and revealed himself towards the gang, he was welcomed by the disgusted scowl of Artemis, as a new emotion arose in the genius's heart; anger. _How dare he!_

"I believe that millions of residents of Haven were asking themselves that very same question when we had to put you down." Lope retorted with a wicked smile. "Luckily, I was there to lift their spirits and bring forth their devotion. It's one of the many advantageous of being a member of the council; no matter what, the people are always on your side."

"You…." Artemis growled in disgust and anger. The sight of Lope alone smiling from ear to ear, even after what he did to Apollo, could have sent Arty into a psychotic kill rage. "How dare you!" The genius spoke with a passion equivalent to medieval kings. "Why would you ever work for Opal Koboi? Have you lost your mind?"

"Hmph," Lope replied pretentiously. "World domination does have its benefits, Mr. Fowl." Lope stated as he picked the lint between his fingernails. "With all the money I can make, you'd forget about moral values or common sense. Hell, with a 50% profit share, because, _I am _one of Opal's biggest backers on her project, I can buy other people's values."

"You won't get away with this!" Holly barked at Lope.

He chuckled darkly with an evil smile. "Isn't that just what the hero's say?" He effeminately said in a cool and collective way that made his demeanor ever so creepy. "It fills me with reminiscence of the past, melancholy even. It takes me back to a time where the comic book hero's always got the upper hand." He descended back into the darkness for a brief moment, as he pulled out a chair and sat down in front of them. He looked intently at his prey in the eyes, filling them with trepidation. "Unfortunately for you, in this comic book, I call the shots, and the villain always wins."

"Oh yeah," Trouble asked like a punk teenager as he spat out blood that pooled in his mouth. When the young commander collided with the floor, he lost a tooth. Thank God's it wasn't one of his front teeth. "How are you going to explain the dead body?"

"Dead body?" Lope said puzzled. Due to his perplexity, he began squinting as if he was looking directly at the sun. Suddenly, he gasped in realization, and then he began to bellow out a haunting laugh. "Oh, you mean the goblin that Apollo didn't even kill?"

"I knew he had a heartbeat!" Apollo exclaimed in anger. The sudden realization that Lope was nothing more than a fat cat, greedy, liar was made well know by the tattoo. But that statement alone ran over Apollo like a freight train.

Lope smiled eerily. "Did you actually think that you could kill someone?" Lope asked harassingly. His tone seemed like it came from the mouth of Satan himself. Even Hannibal Lecture couldn't pose an even greater sense of anticipation than what Lope was presenting right now.

"When you shoot lightning from your fingertips, anything is possible," Apollo proclaimed pretentiously sarcastic, and finishing it off with a witty grin and heroic flip of his red hair. Pompous and over the top? Well, yeah. But, in Apollo's defense, he could shoot lightning, and that's something to brag about.

Lope gave Apollo a detestable glance. His arms were crossed in a child-like manner. "Except, when you're nothing more than a fat-ass weakling." Lope retorted.

That comment offended Apollo greatly. With the wrath of the teenage rebellion that was coursing through his system, Apollo proclaimed loudly and powerfully, "FUCK YOU!" the sound echoed through all eternity.

"Oh, did I hurt you tender little heart," Lope spoke sarcastically as he eyed down the red head hybrid. He pulled the chair closer to Apollo, and eyed him down threateningly. Then, with worst that hurt worst than stick and stones, he shot arrows into Apollo's chest. "You're weak. You're nothing more than a fat-ass, hopeless bastard child that won't get laid until some necrophilia chick digs up his grave." He spat.

Paradoxically, when Lope spat those words to Apollo, Apollo spat right back at him. The thick and snotty goo landed right on his lower lip. It began to drip and travel down his chin. Everyone in the room was stunned, even lope. But, being the sociopath that he is, Lope didn't react in an exaggerated manner. Instead, he got up out of his chair, and wiped away the salvia. As he looked away, and paced the room, he began to give Apollo some information about his powers.

"You may have just reached magic puberty, but that just it. You're only 15. Wait till you're 18; _THAT'S _when you'll want to start taking you're medicine. You see, right now, the powers you've received are getting use to its new body. At first, those powers are very dangerous. They usually release themselves the first time in an epic behavior."

_The fire ball in the kitchen, _Apollo thought to himself in remembrance and shock. _My mother was so pissed._

"But, after a while, the powers adjust themselves and can only be released in small, but powerful doses." Lope continued. "It's enough to fry someone's brain and put them in a comma for sure, but kill? No, no, no. You're just too young, too weak, and too worthless to pull off a stunt like that." He then turned around and gave the youth a blood-sucking grin. Then he placed the chair back into the darkness.

As he did this, Apollo's brain was trying to comprehend the knowledge he just received. Everything seemed inconceivable. It was hard to even settle for any common sense at this point. The anger boiling inside him due to Lope's presence made it hard to examine any information. Apollo stared off into space, confused and bewildered, with anger pulsating through him.

"Me, on the other hand," Lope exclaimed liked the pompous bastard he was. "I can kill all of you in a single instance. In fact, that's what I'm going to do, right now. In just a few short minutes, I'm going to start executing you publicly one by one."

"I'm not sure how Haven will back you up on the public execution of the Fowl Empire." Foaly proclaimed. He breathed heavily in irritation and in pain. His centaur body was breaking. "After all, Artemis has been a great asset to the community ever since he married Holly. He's benefited us all"

"What are you talking about?" Lope asked confused. He seemed to be an incredible actor, as most of his audience was stunned by the performance. "Fowl, has bought a compound out in the middle of the Sahara, and with Holly and their son's help, captured the four other hybrids and are harvesting their powers for world domination. The Fowls must be stopped at once!"

"What are you talking about?" Artemis proclaimed with bafflement and fury. "You and Opal are the ones with a compound in a dessert."

"Oops," Lope apologized un-pathetically and full of sarcasm. "Did I forget to mention that due to the miracles of fairy technology, we forged the paper work, and made it as if though you bought the land and compound?"

The gang's faces broke. Silence filled out the room and dread sucked up everyone's emotions like a black hole in outer space. Lope's plan was finally put together, and it made sense; horrible, terrifying sense.

"That's right," Lope said as the darkness and wickedness of his existence consumed him. The hearts of a deceive politician is always blacker than a lump of coal. "Everyone in Haven thanks you're the bad guy again, Fowl. Right now, there all rooting for me, and are just screaming for you, your friends, and family to get fried." After saying those words, he began leaning down towards Artemis. He stopped when his face was only three inches away.

Then, Lope proclaimed with an evil smile, "and there's nothing you can do to stop it. All you can do is watch."

At that moment, light flooded the room. Unfortunately for the gang, no one could shield their eyes and they were welcomed with another head ache. The door behind Lope opened. A dark, faceless figure stood halfway through the doorway. Outside, the noise of police activity filled the room. People were rushing back and forth quickly and promptly getting to work. It was then that Foaly realized that they were in the west compound of the L.E.P. otherwise, known as, the death compound. This was where all the executions took place. Due to humanitarian laws that the council set up generations back, there hasn't been an execution in fair history for over 70 years. It seemed as if this was going to be a dastardly resurgence of judicial death.

"Lope, sir," the voice said behind the door timidly. "It's time."

Another wicked smile plastered itself across Lope's face. He chuckled enigmatically as he knew who had the control. At that point Lope raised his right hand snapped his fingers. Suddenly four L.E.P officers, dressed in black attire, and in huge blacked out shades, flooded the room. their movements were quick and precise, with no emotion; robots they were, under Lope's software system. The officers made their way past Fowl and the other victims strapped to the chairs, and walked behind Holly and Apollo. Lope nodded his head in affirmation. The officers lifted them up off the chairs, onto their feet, and did this while still keeping Holly and Apollo chained.

Holly did put up a fight, but it didn't last long. She began thrashing around like a fish, exclaiming, "get your hands off me," when immediately, Holly was shocked in the stomach by a buzz baton. She gave forth a pained groan that caused Artemis to snap violently.

"You mother fucker!" Artemis screamed as he thrashed about in his chair in a manner corresponding to Holly's early fight.

Holly would have got back up and fought some more, but her body was now sore and tired. She was still dazed after just waking up from the darts. Immediately, without reserve, she just gave up, and fell forward into the hands of the officers. It was a shock that could have rewritten the history books. The planets were out of line. The end was nigh! It was so unlike Holly to give up on anything that Artemis almost burst into tears. She was a strong woman, a courageous woman. How did she loose so much hope?

Apollo was just spellbound. As the two other officers held him tightly, he watched in astonishment as his biological mother gave up. He was only a few good in-comprehensible and horrific images away from a complete mental breakdown. His mind was on the verge of insanity. Like his father, the only thing that Apollo could do at the moment, was watch in dismay as the officers began to push him and Holly forward; making them walk towards their untimely deaths.

"Women and Children first." Lope declared darkly to Artemis. He got up slowly and began to walk away. The other officers followed behind him as they pushed the two victims along; one arm under one victims' arm.

They walked away ever so slowly, or at least it seemed slow in Fowl's mind. The sounds of a requiem began to manifest themselves in Arty's brain as the poor man watch his love and child walk away. In his mind Time drew out everything so Artemis could remember every instance of this moment. In his mind, it was the last time he would see his family. Holly and Apollo were pushed out into the hallway, and Artemis could hear the struggling moans come from them in a brusque reverberation. Suddenly, the dark figure from before reached out and slammed the door shut.

And that was that.

It didn't take long for the tears to form. His neck lost all of its strength and his head fell towards the earth like a watermelon. His cries of sorrow were almost repulsive. He had a sickening wheeze behind every exhale, and a mucus filled, cruddy, dirty inhale to add with it. He cried like a little kid. He wept bitterly and wretchedly to the point that almost all the power in his body was drained.

Suddenly, in the middle of his crying, Artemis did something that would have made the front line news if any one of his relatives saw it. Since he was a scientist, Fowl had no use and no interest, (unless it was part of a social or anthropomorphic experiment of course) of religion. The Fowl Empire, however, was strictly and solely Catholic. While Arty was far from a choir boy, he was brought in the ministries and teachings of Christ and God. They were intergraded in his DNA, so to speak. So, with nothing else to do, and with all hope gone, Artemis turned to faith, and prayed.

"Father," he began quietly, grief-stricken sniffles interrupting his prayer, here and there. "Please look down kindly on a wretched sinner like me. I just want Holly and Apollo to be okay. I just want to see them again. I've been guilty of pride and swindling my lord. I've spent a life time pursuing riches that weren't mine, and taking the riches of others dear god. I just…..I just want the riches that are truly mine, which you gave me, back in my arms, and I want them to know that I'm sorry. The value of my family is more valuable than any diamond encrusted jewel. ….I just want to see my family again."

And suddenly, in the mist of all this grief and sorrow, came a joyful and rambunctious whine of a horse. It turned into hysterical fits of laughter, and Artemis was not amused. Fowl incorrectly assumed that Foaly, due to his smug nature that Artemis was well aware of, was laughing at his misfortune.

Snapping his head violently to the left, Artemis yelled with bloodshot eyes, "DAMNIT PONY BOY, THIS IS NOT FUNNY!"

"I know it isn't," Foaly obliged as he continued to chuckle. "It's just, you seriously forgot to keep track of time, have you?"

For the first time in a long time, Artemis was confused. "Huh?" he asked in an undignified approach. Foaly looked back down at his human wrist, smiling at his digital, fairy watch. Something about the time was keeping the centaur in a happy mood.

"Don't you remember that Apollo has but two hours before he regains his powers after injection?" Foaly asked; fully knowing well that Fowl did know, he only needed some guidance, as unbelievable as that may seem. "When I injected your son, I started up my wrist, calculator, com-link, and communicator watch to stop watch mode. When two hours were up, I was going to contact you and Holly to remind you to give Apollo his medicine."

The pieces of the puzzle were starting to fit. "How much time is their left, Foaly?" Artemis asked him.

Foaly, with a smug smile, flipped his watch on to hologram mode. A big, green, holographic clock projected itself in the room. Artemis, slowly, began to grow a devilish smile as well.

"30 seconds," he proclaimed with his signature vampire grin.

* * *

"Well, this isn't how I planned on going out." Apollo stated aloud to his mother, as they were pushed along by the cops down the hallway directly behind Lope.

"Really Smartass," Holly declared somewhat offended, yet sarcastic. "How did you plan on going out?"

The hallway they were being lead down through, was narrow, and painted brown. They were now past the office room were millions of officers were scrambling, and were now in the territory known only by L.E.P. staff as, the brown mile. Really, it was more a tan, Caucasian color, but its shades of brown were clearly visible. It was not the last mile for any death row prisoner, yet, it was the mile before it. Surrounding them, were more interrogation rooms; completely empty, for some unknown reason. The hallways felt like a maze, with only one clear and haunting way out; death.

Apollo contemplated Holly's questions seriously for quite some time. His chin lifted up as he looked towards the sky, and thought deeply. Then, he came to his conclusion.

"I think if I was going to plan out my death, I'd do it to pay homage to the most messed up death in a movie I've ever seen." Apollo proclaimed.

"Which is?" Holly asked with a quirked brow.

"I forget the title," Apollo apologized. "All I remembered is the messed up death. This guy, was chased off a cliff by, I shit you not, naked roller girls."

If Holly was acquainted by water, she would have done a spit take. She was not expecting that at all. She began to laugh into fits of hysteria. It was too ridiculous to believe. "Are you serious?"

"I am!" Apollo replied, as he himself was surprised that it was a factual fact that he was proclaiming. "Naked roller girls."

They laughed for quite some time; loudly, might I add. When two people are face with a gloomy destination, they tend to prolong any other emotional reaction that isn't brought on by fear or anxiety. Their laughter lasted for quite some time. Slowly, that laughter died down into only chuckles. And suddenly, when the chuckles faded away, the laughter stopped.

"And what about you?" Apollo asked Holly. "How did you plan on going out?"

Suddenly, a strange smell captured Holly's senses. A smoldering heat was amongst them. It reeked of smoke, yet was not gaseous in any way shape or form. It was as if it was _clean _heat. Suddenly, a noise fell on the ear drums of Holly's hearing. It was a crackling sound, like burning firewood, or an old transmitter radio being brought back to life. It popped viciously, but was preceded and followed by the grinding noise of static. Her eyes darted about, looking for the source of the noise and smell.

They landed on Apollo's hands, to which she responded with an iniquitous grin. Those little blue sparks of electricity danced around his fingers. Like tiny snowflakes in the winter, almost un-recognizable due to their smallness in size, they fluttered around the palms of his hands, which were bound behind him in traffic-cuffs. To her utter joy, Apollo's powers had returned. Now, it was time to use them for their advantage.

"I'd go out…" She began, as she tried to find a way out of her cuffs. Luckily, it didn't take long. Being an L.E.P. recon fairy, she knew the in's and _out's _of cuffs. Breaking free, she brought her right foot up and kicked Lope squarely in the lower back. With much surprise, he fell forward. She spun around and gripped Apollo tightly in a headlock; much to his surprise as well.

"WITH A BANG!" she finished with righteousness. She lifted her left hand up and balled it into a fist. She struck her son in the back of his neck, hoping as if it would act as a trigger to a gun; except the gun in this case was Apollo. Sure enough, Holly's theory was correct, and the electricity sprayed itself out along the four cops behind them in the most amazing method possible. The four cops were knocked into the air, and were tossed back a couple of feet, before they landed on the ground, from where they proceeded to pass out. Their bodies were smoldering, but not dead. And it was apparent that they weren't getting up anytime soon.

The electrical powers caused the chain to weaken. Apollo was able to break free with ease. He got up, and moved forward a couple of feet; unsure of what was going on.

Then, Lope rose up from the floor. "WHAT THE F-" He screamed loudly.

Apollo brought his hands up in an involuntary muscle reaction to defended himself. Involuntarily, as well, his powers activated, and pressed out to the palm of his hands in a single blue and white stream. They made contact with Lope, and caused the council man to violently quake in pain. When the powers diminished, Lope fell to the floor and shook there for quite some time in pain. His body had received, _quite a shock._

Apollo was mystified. He had no clue as to what the hell was going on. One minute, he was being lead down the last mile, or the green mile, or whatever the hell they called it. Now, his powers had returned and 5 people were knocked on their butts senseless. Apollo looked at those people and then…..he looked at his hands.

A bright smile began to stretch itself upon the lad's face. Good, yet mischievous compartmented intent filled his heart. The sparks danced along his fingers like tiny dancer. The power coursed through his veins. The high which he once knew had returned. And with the righteous fury of a god, Apollo proclaimed loudly, with authority and supremacy….

"_I'M BACK BITCHIZES!"_

* * *

***cue badass heavy metal music* **

**So, just like Apollo says, I'm back. And, since school is now out, I'll be able to update faster. This chapter came out a little shorter than my other ones, but I still hope you thoroughly enjoyed it. **

**PLEASE, CHECK OUT THOSE YOUTUBE VIDEOS. School of rock is going great, and I promise to have videos of the concert.**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	13. I'm Back! the bullet's in motion

**I'VE DONE IT! I HAVE PASSED THE 100 REVIEWS MARK! WOOT WOOT! THANK YOU, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR ALL THE REVIEWS AND SUPPORT. It's been kind of rough trying to get back to writing. I had just finished my first long running fan fic. Check out Dairy of a Theive if you want a good laugh, or if you're a sly cooper fan. Also, my family recently just went on a vacation, so it was kind of hard to think about writing there. Also, I have just started writing my first movie script. I highly doubt it will get made soon (It's way over my budget) but It's good to have it around just in case I gain the money, or meet someone who like the script and is in possession of said money. I also want to direct the film as well. It's is called "Animals." It follows a rock and roll band as they go on their first cross country tour, in nothing else but a van, and the lead singer meets a girl on the road who plays the piano and writes amazing lyrics, recruits her into the band and falls in love with her. Simple right, here's the twist. Their anthropomorphic animated characters. That's right, furries. I want the film to focus on how each of us, as a human, has an animalistic side, and I'm not talking about a dark side that was exploited years ago by Star Wars, or Blue Velvet, but that natural instinct to hunt for what we want, fight for what we need, and to just survive. Best way to describe it, Take Fritz the Cat (the first X rated cartoon) and Get in the van (a memoir by Henry Rollins) throw them in a blender, mix, add some Tarrintino sprinkles and finish it off with a layer of whipped Stanley Kubrick. **

**Enough rambling. LET'S GET THIS SHOW ON THE ROAD!**

**Song: I'm Back. Artist: Dope. **

**Sorry folks, no comidic quote this time. sorry.**

* * *

Grub was just having a bad day. As cliché as it sounds, it was about to get worst. It all started when his brother, Trouble, left him a very suspicious and rowdy message on the L.E.P. communicators. Grub couldn't quite put his finger on it, but it seemed as if his brother was hiding something. First of all, he was talking way too fast to be considered calm and reserved. He spoke quickly with a rush and spark that could only be described as complete bewilderment. Though he could barely make out what his frantic older brother was trying to say, he understood that his brother want him to go on parole, leave his desk and it's work behind, and get the hell out of doge. Why, at the time, Grub didn't care to know. He was annoyed, but it was better to just do what his brother commanded and not get into an argument. If Grub were to gaze into a crystal ball, he could have sworn his brother was hiding something or particularly someone in his office and didn't want him to disturb.

So Grub grabbed his newly assigned L.E.P. hovercraft unit, since he was promoted to Traffic a few years back, and made his way around the city. He went around the main city blocks a couple of times, and didn't notice anything unusual. No criminal activity was at a spike or concern today. So he decided stop by Marvin's grill, a fairy cuisine café with a mud man 50's music theme. The Fairy community, without a doubt, was extremely interested in that era for the Mud Man. It showed the most stability for the human culture, and gave the underground dwellers a brief since of hope, that maybe these mud men would stop being barbaric savages, and would evolve into something more diplomatic.

Then the 60's came along. At first it was great; free love and a revolution, Haven and Atlantis was down with that. Some even joined in on Woodstock, without shielding, and were cleverly disguised as hippies, and were able to walk among the crowd. But most were turned off by the event before it; Vietnam, the riots, and the disaster of The Rolling Stones concert cause many magic folk to get repulsed once more, and they left the mud men behind without any remorse.

But the culture that appeared in the 50's fascinated some, and still mesmerized dwarfs, elves, pixies, and centaurs alike. Marvin's grill was the place to be if you wanted one more trip back to that era. Grub especially liked the music, and the malts and spider burgers there were to die for.

After a concise lunch, Grub order another chocolate malt to go, and headed back to his squad car. Once he entered the vehicle, he activated his L.E.P. crime scanner to see if any suspicious activity was intimate since his dine-in at his favorite local eatery.

If noises had the ability to kill, Grub would have been dead in an instant. His ears were immediately flooded with sound. Distressed officers reporting scenes of lightning, teenage-mud men, destruction of property, and thousands of other strange, messed-up shit flew about the speakers of the intercom inside the car. It boggled his mind really. How could so much go so wrong? And what the hell was going on? There was no way for Grub to comprehend all this. He had only one thing on his mind; get to the L.E.P. plaza as fast as possible.

But his plan was sidetracked, when out of no-where, one of Haven's biggest political figures interrupted the radio-transmitions with a single of his own.

"This is Councilman Lope," the scanner spoke. "If anyone out there is listening, stay away, I repeat, stay away from the L.E.P plaza. I'll deal with the trouble myself."

Grub was utterly mystified by what came through the speakers of his squad car. Never before in his life had he been prepared to receive such an odd and terrified command. Something was rather abnormal with the way Lope was speaking. He sounded malicious, almost vindictive, but most importantly, his voice was threatening. It made Grub shiver, and somewhat shiver, in fear.

Then Grub's communicator rang. Immediately, and without haste, Grub activated it and brought it to his lips. There was no need, for Grub had no time to speaker. On the other end, was a panic and equally as frighten Trouble, with one big command.

"Grub," he ordered vigorously. "Get your ass down her to the plaza and pick us up. We have a situation on our hands. Don't' listen to Lope, he's our enemy. Bring your hovercraft to the back end. Me, Artemis, Apollo, and the rest of us will be here." And Trouble swiftly ended the call in a rush.

Grub's brain was starting to melt like Swiss cheese. There was nothing logical about the situation Grub found himself in. he was caught in a bind. Who could he trust? Well, obviously his brother was the trustworthy one, but why would he specifically call out Lope, a councilmember, as an enemy?

Grub's rational brain told him to not investigate alone, and to call for back up. But his irrational side of his cranium was always the fastest, as most brains are when they're confronted with a crisis. Only those trained in the art of emergency situations, such as an officer in Traffic like Grub Kelp, can work their irrational brain into a rational use and save lives. So, pressing his foot to the floor, and placing the pedal to the medal, Grub took off like a rocket, and blasted into the metaphorical space of confusion, chaos, and the unknown.

If Grub were to again, gaze into a Crystal ball, he would have seen that this was where his life would change, forever.

It doesn't take long for a maniac; much like Grub was at the time, to reach the L.E.P station in a squad car; 3 to 5 minutes tops. And when Grub arrived on the scene of the completely obliterated, yet somehow still standing L.E.P Plaza, he was spellbound. Flames made their presence known on the widows of every floor. Holes the size of moon craters was distributive among every inch of the walls. Things were crumbling; strange objects hung from the building by just a hair, and above all, lightning. Out of nowhere, bolts of lightning, or electricity, or whatever the hell it was, shot out of the roof, the west end, the east end, and every other end, corner, hallway, and window the building had to offer. Grub was paralyzed with fear. There was no way in hell he was about to step a foot in there.

Good thing all he had to do was run around back.

He slowly, and slyly, made his way to the back entrance of the station. His eyes darted around for any since of activity. There was one major clue, (the freaking building, for example) but Grub didn't want to focus on that. All he wanted to focus on was if anyone was alive.

When he finally reached the lot, and got close to the steps of the back door, he realized something was horrifically wrong. The lighting, or electricity, SPARKS whatever the hell it was, stopped. There was no more added obliteration and disorder, to the already obliterated and disorderly atmosphere. As ill advice, as it was stupid, Grub had to get out of the car to see what was the matter.

Once he slammed the squad door shut behind him, he immediately noticed his disheveled, sweating, wide eyed with fear and turmoil brother, Trouble standing at the top of the steps. His hands were on his knee's as he desperately tried to catch his breath. It was apparent that he was running from something, and apparently, that something, had caused all this mayhem.

With a pleading cry, Grub was only able to state one word, before his world, as he knew it, shattered.

"Trouble," Grub began the sentence that wouldn't be finished.

Out of nowhere, a teenage, red head, pale, long legged mud man, jumped over Trouble with amazing speed and power, and screamed with terror, and alarm, "GRUB! GET THE FUCK DOWN!"

As if the sight of a mud man, underground, wasn't enough to send any sane elf into an epileptic seizure, out of nowhere, this humongous, flaming, speedy rocket flew out from the doors behind Trouble. It Flew under the mud boy's left arm, and was heading straight for Grub. The terrified hobbit of an elf, ducked without any reserve of dignity and courage left in his body. Amazingly, the rocket skipped passed Grub and made contact with a squad car three parking spaces away from where he was parked. The squad car went up in flames, flying in the air like a ballerina, and slammed against the ground with an ever resounding, dreadfully, thud. Someone was going to need a hell of an insurance company. Luckily, whoever they were, they worked for the law.

When Grub raised his head, a multitude of some of his closest friends, living and dead, ran out of the L.E.P faster than a stink worm's stench to the nose. The people, fairy, dwarf, and human alike, made their way with long strides. They weren't running, they were sprinting with a remarkable velocity. Grub was able to identify Artemis Fowl, Holly Short (who he now knew and forever addressed as Holly Fowl), Mulch Diggums, and…..wait a minute, Julius Root! He's been dead for 30 years! And he doesn't have worms crawling about his eyes sockets like a quantum zombie?

Once everyone passed by his head, (thankfully their shoes didn't collide with his skull as they made their way to his car) Grub looked up to notice his brother trying to assit him to his feet. Once Grub was able to stand solidly, on solid, non-explosive ground, Grub asked the question that _would _be finished.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!" he screamed.

* * *

_*25 minutes earlier* _

"Oh, was that neutrino blast directed at me?" Apollo sarcastically spat as he dodge the bullet. Lifting his right arm, he gathered a big shard of electricity and shouted, "Return to sender!" Then, with a throw of his arm, and a flick of his wrist, that poor bastard who tried to aim at Apollo was toast. The fairy was thrown back a good 30 feet, landed against a shelf with a thud. Apollo didn't take time to mourn or apologize. Why should he? There was no way he could kill a man. As Lope told him before, he was just too young to kill.

But….defend himself? Oh hell, he could do that, and then some.

The main offices of the L.E.P, which Holly and her son were battling down the corridors of, seemed like a war zone. Lope, after Holly and Apollo whipped his ass, ordered all his troops, and the L.E.P to immediately apprehend Apollo and Holly, with force. He stated to them that the use of violence was necessary, and so the police used that violence with unlimited supply. Normal desk workers had now become militia experts. Pencil pushers who had never really held a weapon before (besides training) were now equip with the latest in criminal detain technology.

And while Apollo really didn't want to hurt the innocent, it was kind of hard to determine who was not guilty when everybody was shooting at you. So Apollo decided that it was better to risk a few casualties, than to end up dead, and began to use his powers in an extravagant spectacle of lights and sounds. Bruce Lee would've been proud.

"Highya!" Apollo screeched as he tagged another officer with a good bolt to the knees, making him pass out to the floor. He then notice out of the corner of his eye, another officer rising from the cubicles with a Neutrino. "Booyashaka!" Apollo yelled as her slapped the officer with the back hand of his electricity. Three officers than ran full blast towards Apollo, equipping their guns to kill, not stun. Apollo raised his arms as if he was trying to start a wave, and he was all right. Slamming them down to the ground and wall of power swept down the passageway and knocked the officers off their feet, sending them into a comma.

Suddenly, Apollo flinched at the sound of gun fire. Turning around, he notice his mother, Holly, holding a gun up to the now dead officer, who would have been a hero in Lope's eyes, had it not been for holly to stop him. Apollo quickly thanked his mom, and they ran at full speed, trying to find the cell where Artemis, Trouble, Mulch, and Julius were contained.

They were a team; mother and son; striking down any enemies that stood in their path. If Apollo was busy with a man to his left, Holly shot the guy to his right, and vice versa between the both of them. No one was safe, and it was evident that Apollo was a force to be reckoned with. At one point, when they turned the corner and had met with a ballistic and highly numbered group of young and fresh recruits, all Apollo had to do was move his arms horizontally, and shards of lightning found each conscript and struck them senseless, throwing some a few feet back, and causing some to just fall straight down.

Finally, after a few minutes of kicking ass and yelling some of his favorite one liners while doing so, (Apollo could remember plain as day shouting, 'Swallow this' and shooting illumination from both of his hands) Apollo and Holly had finally reached the death compound containment and interrogation room. Holly reached for the door and pulled back with tremendous supremacy. Sadly the door didn't budge.

"Damnit!" Holly screamed. "It's locked from the other side."

"Allow me," Apollo smugly stated as he crossed his mother and stood in front of the door. Breathing in heavily, Apollo focused his mind to shift all the power in his body to his foot. A great orb of electricity scoped around his foot like a ball of energy. Like a kung-fu Master, Apollo balanced himself, a pulled back his foot for incredible velocity, and with a great roundhouse kick, that door was history and demolished itself into little tiny pieces.

Holly rushed out from behind Apollo, almost knocking him over, and immediately embraced her husband, who was still bound to the chair. "Artemis!" She proclaimed.

"Holly," Artemis exclaimed in happiness as he pecked her lips. "Thank God you're okay. Did you find a key?"

Holly proceeded to give out the smuggest smile that Artemis had ever seen, as she reached into her back pocket and pulled out an electronic key that was used in the L.E.P to unlock traffic cuffs. "Found it off one of the officers Apollo knocked out." She explained.

Artemis looked over his wives shoulder and pass on good wishes to his son. "Good Job boy."

Apollo gave forth a haughty bow. "Thank you very much." He paraded.

As Holly unlocked Artemis and ran over to Mulch, the kleptomaniac dwarf began to joke along in this time of terror. "I hope Artemis still keeps that promise he made while you were gone. I'm gonna be in the chapel with a camera."

It didn't take long for Holly to put two and two together. Hearing the word chapel, and having the mental image of Artemis in hysterics was all Holly needed to reply with an all knowing mischievous smile as she looked towards her husband.

"Well, any good human being will cast about in the moment of stress." Artemis meekly replied.

Holly ran over and unhooked Trouble, who apparently still had his communicator on him. It seemed as if he was on an important phone call when he was released. As the cuffs shimmered away, Trouble end the transmition and spoke to holly directly.

"Lope sent out a single to all L.E.P. members. It seems as if he wants to finish us off himself. Good news, it's only one guy, bad news; no one is coming to help us. Luckily, my communicator is still active and I was able to call my brother, Grub." He said this directly to Apollo to verify who his brother was. "I told him Lope's distress signal is bullshit and to meet us in the back parking lot right away."

"How long do you reckon it'd be till he gets here?" Foaly asked as he rubbed his sore wrists once holly released him from his bonds.

"My estimate, if he's still in the vicinity of Haven ten minutes. It's my brother we're talking about here." Trouble explained.

"All right then," Apollo acknowledged as he started to pace backwards. Everyone began to follow him as he exclaimed, "Come on let's go!" For some reason, the gang involuntarily crouched down and moved slowly; like warriors in a combat field under heavy fire. When they moved passed the door and turned to look down the corridor, their hearts sank, and their stomachs flipped.

A sea of officers crowded the hallways, each in their own unique position of covering and camouflage. The gang thought that they were dead meat for sure. Little did they know that they had sorely underestimated Apollo's powers.

Brining up balls of electricity in the palms of his hands, like a Roman God, Apollo began pitching like a professional MLA player. He was on target always, and as he strode down that corridor, he did not miss a single officer; not one. It seemed like he was making it look way too easy. Artemis was spellbound and walked right behind the gang with a slack jaw of awe at just how well Apollo really was. Were the powers this easy to control? Maybe the electricity had the ability to lock on to other life forms, like heat seeking missiles. Whatever the case, the powers were so useful and so convenient that all the gang had to do was walk right behind Apollo, and they were protected.

When they finally reached the end of the long corridor, (which, approximately took about ten minutes due to its length, the speed of their walking, and the amount of officers that were firing at them) Apollo turned around and faced the enthralled on looking gang.

"Easy as pie," Apollo proclaimed with shrugged shoulders. "I think the powers do most of the work themselves, like heat seeking missiles." He commented.

Then, as he turned around, he bumped right into the firm, rage filled body of none other than councilman Lope. Everyone's breath was now stuck in their throat including their lunches.

Lope was rage personified. His body was sweaty, and each breath he took was hyperventilation through clenched teeth. His hair, and clothing, was in pieces and both stuck to his body. His eyes were wide, yet darken with the intent to kill. His body was bulky with muscle, and the vein in his neck popped as the blood pulsed through violently.

"You're dead fucker!" Lope screamed with a force that would have shattered windows. He reached behind his back, and began loading the weapon that would end it all. Unfortunately, this weapon took a while to load, so the villain had to suffer the self-righteousness of Apollo's attitude.

"Really?" Apollo quirked a brow, not frighten by Lope's presence. Getting into fighting stance, Apollo screeched. "Face the wrath of Apollo; the electric man." And then he swung his arms….

And no lightning came out. Suddenly he felt weak; like he was drained. He had no clue what the hell was going on. Lope was pleased by this sight of Apollo without functioning powers, and smiled as he decided to watch Apollo revel in horror for a few seconds. Apollo swung his arms again, and again, nothing came out in result. All his lightening was gone, and then, Apollo's eyes widen as he remembered a shocking revelation. His powers didn't last forever. They had the ability to get drained and go away. The powerless Apollo looked up in fear, and smiled nervously.

Artemis's brows furrowed. "You used up all your powers, didn't you?" he chastised.

Suddenly, Lope reached around his back and unclipped the weapon from the back harness. When he revealed it, every one's jaw hit the floor. It looked very long, very heavy, very technological, and very, very dangerous. It was the SRL-362-Battle Royal launcher that Foaly designed. Or, as the centaur put it…

"A Fucking bazooka!" the centaur screamed.

"DUCK!" Trouble commanded as Lope flipped off the safety.

As Apollo fell to the floor, he wondered to himself, _is that really going to help? Freaking duck? He's at point blank rage. _However, Apollo forgot to add Lope's lack of heavy weapons training and coordination skills to the equation, for ducking seemed to help indeed. The missile flew straight up, do to Lope falling back from the recoil of the launcher. It struck the ceiling, and immediately, tiling and concrete from the other floor fell down. Miraculously, no one was caught under the rocks, and a wall was made separating the gang from the maniac with access to a rocket launcher.

"RUN!" Artemis bellowed as everyone rose to their feet. They began taking off down the corridor.

"Where to?" Apollo asked as he tried to catch up, even though his breath weighed him down. He was too weak to do anything. Without his powers, or his fairy magic, he was worthless, weak, and unable to fight. Luckily the human side kicked in, and his body ran on survival hormones. His brain screamed one word and one word only, _RUN!_

"We're taking a right," Artemis explained as the gang did so, veering sharply to the right and running through the jungle and maze of cubicles. "We're going to run around him. Hopefully the ceiling crushed him, or he won't notice."

When they reached the end, they took another right, seeing the light at the end of the corridor. The back door seemed so safe, so secure, like the metaphorical, and literal, light at the end of the tunnel. They ran as fast as they could. They ran with power and passion in each stride of their step. Trouble was the head of the pack, as he was able to look through the glass and notice his brother just pulling up. Apollo, Mulch, and Julius took up the middle with Artemis and Holly taking the rear, although they were directly behind their child every step.

Apollo only stopped, in horror, when he noticed another hallway that had Lope standing at the end, loading another rocket.

"LOOK OUT!" The teenager screamed as his family and new found friends turned, recognized the enemy, and fell to the ground to save their asses. The rocket screeched down the hallway and struck the wall right beside them. Debris the size of trolls flew out and burst into a million more pieces, now the size of M&M's. That's how the missile worked. The bomb would hit the target, and with the first explosion, microscopic bombs would attach themselves to any objects in the vicinity, and blow up as well. Luckily, no one was hurt; just frighten to death. Apollo know ran ten times faster, and Artemis and Holly held each other tightly as they proceeded to run like hell.

Lope ran down the hall way, determined to not let Apollo, or his family, leave the building alive. He was in the same hallway by the time Artemis and Holly had passed his earlier hallway. Apollo noticed this as he looked behind him, and his adrenalin made him took off like a cannon. He ran out the automatic doors, which Trouble thankfully override so they would stay open always, and jumped over Trouble screaming with terror, and alarm, "GRUB! GET THE FUCK DOWN!"

When Lope launched the other missile, Artemis and Holly immediately ducked down. Mulch and Julius were lucky to the fact that the missile completely ignored them. It was a miracle that the missile shout out the door and destroyed the hovercraft instead of Apollo, who watched the car go up in flames, and briefly thought that someone was going to need a hell of an insurance company. Luckily, whoever they were, they worked for the law.

* * *

After Grub asked the frantic question that needed to be asked, Trouble quickly answered his question with a simple, "THERE'S NO TIME TO EXPLAIN!" He shouted as he shook his brother. "DRIVE, _DRIVE, __**DRIVE!" **_

Grub recognized that tone in his brother's voice immediately. It meant _obey the order, or else. _Wishing not to be dead, Grub shook his head quickly in agreement. He ran to the hover craft's driver's door and immediately placed his foot on the ignition as soon as his brother hopped into the crowded back seat of the vehicle. As Trouble jumped in, another rocket flew out of the building and struck a squad craft that was only one parking space away. Grub franticly shot out of the lot like a mortar launcher, and made a few quick and feverish turns until he was out of the L.E.P. vicinity, and onto some back-wood roads. (Haven dosn't has any back-woods or country roads, but a few small hover paths that didn't connect anywhere to the main city strip. Grub knew that he didn't want the gang to end up dead, or any innocent pedestrians to be dead as well, so grub took the small roads.)

Lope ran out of the building just in time to see the hovercraft speed off. His eyes narrowed and a low vicious growl came from his throat. He knew damn good and well where logically they were going to go, and he was not about to let them get away. He found one squad car that wasn't destroyed, hi-jacked it, and took off.

"Where to?" Grub proclaimed as he drove the hovercraft with a quick pace. He noticed that everyone was not in a good mood, and why should they be? First, they were almost killed, and know they were packed in so tightly like they were in a clown car.

"The Tara shuttle port." Artemis proclaimed from the back seat. He tried moving over Mulches extremely large head to get a good look at his son. Once he did he noticed that Apollo looked agitated, fearsome, and ashamed. Artemis then, in his terror filled state, heatedly shouted, "You knew that you could lose your powers right? Don't you remember anything N01 said? He told us specifically back in New York that if you use them up to much, your powers can become drained!"

"I know that," Apollo apologetically and wrathfully shouted back. "Now how do I get them back?"

"You need to be emotionally distraught." Foaly stated

Apollo was about to shit a brick

"I AM SO FRIGHTENED RIGHT NOW, I CAN ALMOST PISS MYSELF! SHOULDN'T THAT BE ENOUGH!" Apollo proclaimed with a passionate fury that would make god's tremble in fear."

As if on cue, out of nowhere, a blindingly fast rocket screeched from around the corner, passed the driver's side, and made contact with an old abandon building in one of the projects of West Haven. Everyone turned around to look out the back window. They saw Lope driving a L.E.P squad unit with one hand, and holding out the rocket launcher out the window in another hand. The launcher was pulled back in to be reloaded. Trouble commanded his brother to do evasive maneuvers, which Grub gladly did so, as Foaly tried to explain Apollo powers to him.

"It has to be anger." Foaly stated. "Channeled, pure anger. Not anger and sadness, or anger and fear, just pure 100% anger. Any other emotion added to it, causes your body stress, and the extra chromosome you have can't make your cells in your endocrine work properly. Thus, your hormones can't produce the chemical which causes your powers to reactivate."

Apollo was then pulled towards his father.

"Think of it like when you're getting your blood taken at the doctor's office," Artemis explained. "When you yell and scream and try to resist, you cause your veins and arteries to contract, making it harder for the needle to suck up the blood. When other emotions are added, it's harder for the body to suck up the anger. We need pure anger here, son."

"Well wait," Apollo suggested as he held out his hands to make his father stop talking. "Shouldn't that be a problem for Opal's master plan. I mean, she wants to harvest the hybrids and put them in a vat for her use. I don't see how she can get them angry in a comatose state with just an electric shock."

Artemis began to protest, "But that's…." and then his voice trailed off as he experienced one of the biggest epiphanies in his life. A light bulb went off in his head. He looked towards Foaly, who immediately got what Artemis was thinking, and a light bulb went off in his brain as well.

"PAIN," The centaur shouted in glee as he pulled Apollo towards his side, and punched him in the face.

"Ow!" Apollo screamed as he held his sore jaw. He checked his nose to which Foaly made contact with, and noticed it was bleeding. "What the hell?" Apollo asked the L.E.P. technical genius.

"Are you in pain?" Foaly asked.

"Yes!" Apollo exclaimed mockingly and angrily.

"Are you angry?"

"What do you think?"

"Do you have your powers back?" Foaly asked sincerely.

The light bulb of enlightenment went off in Apollo's brain at that moment. He flapped his arms and wrists about as he tried to harness his powers for use. Sadly, not even a spark was produced. "Nothing," Apollo stated with annoyance ever so present in his voice.

"Crap," Foaly proclaimed as he leaned his head back in defeat. Another rocket from Lope's car screeched passed the gang, yet again, and made contact with another building, just like the last one.

"Man, that councilman has one of the worst aiming abilities in history." Mulch commented.

Suddenly, Artemis grabbed Mulch and pulled him from the sea of people that came from the back.

"Mulch," Artemis commanded him once he was brought up to Artemis's attention. "Punch my son in the face."

Mulch was flabbergasted by the command. "What?"

Apollo eagerly brought his face up, stuck out his chin like a boxer, and proudly proclaimed, "JUST DO IT."

Mulch complied with a vicious, yet somewhat tamed, left hook that caught Apollo off guard and struck him in the eye. Was there pain; yes. But unfortunately, there wasn't enough for Apollo's powers to resurface. "Nothing," the teenager stated with sadness in his heart.

"What are you guys trying to do?" Mulch asked curiously.

"We need to get Apollo either injured, or really pissed off." Foaly stated.

"Has he seen the last episode of the soprano's yet?" Mulch asked sincerely.

Before Foaly could retort Mulch's wisecrack, with his own wisecrack, another missile flew past them in blazing speeds. Thankfully, yet again, the missile missed them, and instead, went to an old abandon hovercraft to the side of the street. Apollo couldn't concentrate on anger or pain in this kind of predicament.

"Shut up!" he exclaimed viciously as he held out his hands. "I need to chill out, and then maybe I could focus on the anger." He then reached into his pocket, and pulled out his ever trusty IPod.

Artemis was appalled by this illogical behavior. They were on a high speed chase with rockets flying towards them in blazing speeds, and Apollo's reaction was, _I need my music?_

"What are you doing?" Artemis asked with irritation fully in attendance.

"Listening to Pink Floyd." Apollo declared.

And that's when Artemis, with anger filling him up to his boiling point, said, while not fully meaning it, the words that would change the situation, and turn the tables in the gang's favor. "PINK FLOYD SUCKS!"

The room went cold.

Even if one member of the gang didn't fully understand who Pink Floyd was, or why this was related to the situation at hand, or that Apollo was a big music geek, they could easily tell that Apollo was offended greatly by that comment. His eyes went round, at first, with surprise and astonishment at the tone, the expressions, and just the sentence that Arty just called out. Then, his brows rutted themselves in such a way, that even Satan would be getting chills up his spine. And then Apollo spoke. Everyone could tell that he was furious. He didn't shout, or yell, or go on a ballistic tirade. He spoke lowly, and enunciated every syllable, the way a criminal mastermind psychopath would do so. Artemis was staring right back at murder.

"What did you say?" Apollo said.

Artemis was frightened by Apollo's behavior. But then, it dawn on him that this could be their moment to shine and become victorious. He looked towards Holly, asking his wife permission to retort and possibly help them win, at their cost. Holly replied by moving her lips to say, "Do it baby. Do it."

Artemis looked back, with one of the naughtiest smiles that anyone could ever paint in the universe, and replied, without one ounce of fear, "Pink…..Floyd…sucks."

Apollo attacked his father. He pounced on him like a panther. He yelled and screeched like a banshee, much to Arty's happiness and favor. For, as Apollo started screaming, the changes were taking place. The red-head teenager's eyes were going white like a zombie's. His voice was becoming low and demonic. And as Apollo gripped his father's vest ever so tightly as he spat, Arty noticed that his son was begging to float. Small sparks began to dance around his body.

"NO LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING PROFESSOR DICKWAD!" Apollo shouted. "PINK FLOYD IS ONE OF THE GREATEST BANDS OF ALL TIME. THEY CHANGED MY LIFE AND MILLIONS OF OTHERS AS WELL WITH THEIR POETIC LYRICS AND GAME CHANGING RECORDING TECHNIQUES."

"It's working," Artemis proclaimed happily to Holly and Julius who were in the far, far back. "Send him through the skylight. And hold his ankles down."

"I don't have a skylight," Grub shouted affronted as he turned around to see Holly and Julius kicking the roof of Grub's squad car to form their very own skylight. A small portion of the roof popped off for the gang's use.

"We do now," Holly proclaimed as Artemis, and her held their sun up to push him through the hole, and held him down to keep him floating away. They gripped his shoes vigorously, praying to God and the God's that Apollo's rubber Nike's would insulate them from Apollo's powers, which they did.

Lope squinted his eyes to focus on the object that was sticking out of the top of Grub's squad hovercraft. It was large, blue, and wiggling every single millisecond. Something that appeared to be lightning kept shooting off of this object like a tree's branches. When Lope realized that it was Apollo, with his powers now back and driving at full force, his eyes widen in fear.

Apollo's lighting burst from his finger tips, in a large, earth shaped, powerful energy orb that targeted Lope's car as soon as Apollo uttered the words, "PINK FLOYD _**RULES!" **_

The last words Lope emitted before his fatal demise was, "Shit."

The car burst like a balloon. Halo's of fire split out from the debris, and the hovercraft was thrown into the air like a rag doll. The orange, red, and yellow hues of the fire seemed more fitting on a flower, but unlike a flower, the heat from the flames created a furious catastrophic disastrous display for all to be seen. There was no way that Lope could survive such a cataclysmic event; and he didn't.

Before Apollo past out, he uttered, "Oh….so that's why my dad said that." Then he fell down, limp, with no more energy.

* * *

**An action packed, fast, fun filled chapter is my gift for you for bringing me up to 100 reviews. I very sorry for the long update. It seems as if summer isn't going to be my fastest update season. But, I promise you that I will try to get in at least three chapters a month. Since I already finished one story, and only have another to work on, it should be a piece of cake. Hopefully, I can live up to the promise I've just made. Anyways, you know the drill. Read, review, and tell all your friend's about this story.**

**Thank you, and God bless.**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	14. Karaoke to David Bowie

**HELLO EVERYBODY! Wow. Long time no see. Apologies for the long update. I think I might be able to do 2 chapters in one month though. I think I can manage. Reasons for being so long, I had a kick-ass float trip down in Benet Springs. For those of you who have never been on a float trip, I highly recommend it. You're tired an sore for a few days after, but there is nothing more relaxing than getting a canoe and paddling down a calm flowing river, and making a couple of stops to swim and eat. Amazing. Also, I've been working on my script a bit more. Still under construction. I've finished the opening scen, but I haven't finished the entire begging. Getting there though. For those of you interested in reading it, give me your email and I'll send you a small copy once it's complete. This chapter is a bit of a closer. It is defiantly not the end chapter. Hell no. we got a bit of a ways to go. But it does end a major character conflict. See if you can identify it. The quote should be a pretty big hint. Speaking of which, there are two quotes now. And the first one if is from my new favorite comedian. He's been dead for quite a while, but I've finally got around to listening to some of his stuff, and I can honestly say that he's an American hero.. Any ways, enjoy this new chapter. Please review. And above all else, tell everyone you know. Spread the word. **

**Song: "Life on Mars," by; David Bowie **

"_All dads are goobers! I always hated my dad. Kids from across the street would say, 'I bet my dad could beat up your dad.' And I'd say 'when?' my dad mows the lawn on Saturdays. Have your dad come by and knock him upside the head with a rake handle."_

_Bill hicks._

* * *

It was horrible. It was miserable. It was by far one of the worst occurring injuries that he had ever experienced in his life. It not only stung like hell, and caused his brain to feel like an iron lung pulsing within his own cranium, but it lasted for a long, long time. The aftereffects however, were much, much worse than anything he could ever imagine. He had a terrible dream; a dream in which he remembered everything. He remembered being so young that he could hardly form a word. He remembered his father tickling his chin while his mother was preparing dinner. He remembered the happiness' that was present in the room within all of them. And he remembered how terrible it was when it all turned sour. He remembered in vivid detail of how the LEP broke into the manor as if they were the FBI, and kindly broke all of their windows and entrapped them in a government agency fashion. He remembered the deadly paranoia that circled the fowl family like a pack of rabid wolves as the LEP wolves themselves shoved them into a shuttle that was set to descend to the earth's crust at any given moment. He remembered how he screamed in bloody murder as the shuttle did just that.

But the worst part of this entire vision that he witnessed when he was out cold, was the fact that he remembered his father. He remembered that his father fought for him when the LEP tried to take him away and to Foaly. He fought valiantly and courageously for his son, and was welcomed with a buzz baton to the face. And what made this memory so wretched, was how Apollo compared this memory, to the more recent memories of how they were capture by the notorious, evil, and now dead as a door knob Lope. And Apollo remembered how much of a jerk he had been towards his father.

Which was part of the reason why as soon as Apollo awoke from his blackness, and noticed Artemis standing above him, the first thing he did was he leaped off the ground of if it was on fire, and hugged his father tightly, sobbing gently as more and more of his consciousness came back to him.

Artemis was, at first, taken back by this sudden change of attitude. He was not expecting any sympathy or apologies from anyone today, let alone Apollo, who proved himself to be quite the brat these past few hours. But as Apollo's tears began to stain his shoulders, Artemis began to pat his son on the back, softly proclaiming "It's okay. It's going to be alright."

Artemis understood on some level that emotions were a little high at the moment. Not only did he just regain his powers, but he had been to an underground civilization, got caught in a gang fight, was brought to a police station, captured by a crooked politician, escaped from said politician, was shot at by a bazooka, and almost died in the period of only 9 hours. The fact that Apollo was even mentally sane or even sound at the moment was just a miracle in action.

Apollo pulled back and wiped away his tears with his sleeves. Then he began to study his surroundings. The Tara shuttle port had a strain sleek and futuristic, yet all natural vibe flowing throughout the night air, which was crisp, cool, and the moister tasted ever so sweet. The night birds chirped out a sweet melody throughout the night air, and the crickets chirping caused an uncanny, yet fantastic harmonic sound to fall upon everyone's ear. Which begged the question, who exactly got to hear those sweet sound emitted by the nature surrounding the Tara Shuttle port? Well, those people would be…

Grub, who was honestly losing his freaking mine, shouting in hysterics at his brother, about how insane the situation was, and about how only a few minutes ago, he was just another desk worker at the finely equipped and potentially safe LEP building. So Grub was basically, asking in the kindest manner possible, "WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?"

Trouble, who much to his credit, was trying explaining the entire situation to his frantic brother in the calmest manner possible. But, that would be considered _impossible _due to his brother's incomprehensible behavior.

Mulch, who was kindly making himself scarce as he walked through the woods and tried to steal anything that would satisfy his kleptomaniac-like tendencies, whether it was shinny rock, or a magic mushroom growing amongst the trees.

Julius, who looked up at the stars with the most forlorn, yet modest, and not in the least bit sympathetic stare that anyone, had ever seen. The only stare that could be comparable to the one the clone was giving off right now, would be the infamous thousand yard stare that only Vietnam veterans who had suffered much horrific pain could produce.

Foaly, who was working on establishing a barrier between their communication devices, and the communication devices of the LEP. After the death of such a public figure like councilmen Lope, all of the underground dwellers were probably going ape-shit. And fully knowing that it wouldn't take much to incite a riot and or a political stance from the residents underground, and calculating how many people might possible be double agents under Kobio's rule, Foaly knew it was his first priority to make sure that the Fowl family was equipped to go rouge, and yet be as comfortable with the position as humanly, or magically possible.

And finally, his mother, Holly, who was just ending a call with Juliet and her daughter on Arty's communicator which he had loaned to her earlier for this reason. Juliet would probably be in a war-like state, ready to kick ass and strike at any moment, but this was not the attitude which Artemis needed the Butler's to be in at this moment, not for this plan. They needed to be calm, sensible, and willing to listen first, then take charge. Knowing full and well that Holly chatting with Juliet was the equivalent of giving a house cat some cat nip, Artemis asked her politely to make the call. She spoke with the soothing voice that could have calmed even the hungriest of lions.

"Listen Juliet," she peacefully stated. "I understand that you want to protect our child and yours too, but the fact of the matter is that when Apollo was brought into this world, your daughter was assigned to protect him. Not you. Besides, it's going to be much harder to watch two children instead of one. And you and I both know its hell to just take care of one child as it is." Holly gave forth a small smile an all knowing way. A small silence followed immediately after. Suddenly, she winced as Juliet on the other end of the communicator, gave forth her rebuttal. "Okay, okay, okay." Holly proclaimed. "Calm down. I understand your concerns and I have mine as well, but for the plan to work, Melinda will have to stay behind. And trust me, you and I both fully know that she if very capable of kicking ass. And we're experts in the field aren't we?" a smug smile painted itself on her face. Suddenly, Juliet gave off her farewell address. Holly replied with a casual, "alright. See you tomorrow, bye." And with that, the communicator was shut off. She turned and faced the greatest sight of all time. Artemis, and their son Apollo, hugging each other in a caring and sensitive manner. No fighting, no smartass comment, just pure father and son love.

She smiled smugly, and placed her hands on her hips as she strode forward.

"Well, Well," she jokingly exclaimed. "Ain't this a fantastic sight? My son and husband hugging each other and not one hand wrapped around each other's throats. I'm so proud of you two." As she said her finally sentence, like a grandma at thanksgiving, she pinched Apollo's cheek. He replied with a giggle and a sniffle, due to the fact that he was caught in the middle of pouring out his emotions.

"Don't get use to it lady," He playfully grinned; a lone tear trailed down his face. "I'll be back to my usual bratty self in no time."

A strange silence fell amongst the family as they awkwardly stared at each other. The discomfort was broken when Holly smiled. She knew that even though he was telling the truth, she had her doubts that Apollo was ever going to be like his old self ever again. Suddenly, Artemis smiled too. A small family chuckle circle happened in an instant, and all hesitation to stay in control of one's emotions was lost into oblivion.

"Are you feeling okay?" Holly asked as she got the most overbearing question at the time off her chest.

With not one ounce of shame, guilt, or pride left in his body, Apollo proclaimed, "Not really. I'm very tired." And then begging like a lost puppy, he exclaimed, "can we go home now?"

Artemis gripped his son tightly in a powerful hug instantly. He realized at that moment, just how fragile his son was, and how his powers just completely drained him. he also realized how desperate the situation was to protect him, and the need to do so grew ever so stronger. Apollo at that moment, also realized, that his dad was not the cold heartless corporate vampire that Apollo assumed he was. Artemis, in the end, was just another human being, caught in this crazy ride called life.

Artemis, with a soothing tone, stated "Yes Son. Let's go home."

* * *

The road stretched out before him endlessly like the very fabric of space and time. The colors of the pavement blended together like some badly painted water color mural. While Apollo had never consumed any illegal drugs, the experience of riding down this desolate road towards the manor was easily comparable to someone's first hit of LSD. Apollo felt at one with the stoners of the universe as each yellow line flew past his eyes in a nanosecond. Apollo sat quietly in the passenger's seat, while the Bentley sped down the Ireland country side, and Apollo began thinking about his life. He relived it all, and by the end of it, he felt disgusted. His life was wonderful. He had a good caring adoptive mom back home, a kick ass biological mom, a rich biological father, and loving friends. So why did he act like an asshole towards them?

He asked his father that question as Artemis drove down the narrow patch of main road that led towards the manor. Artemis turned to his son, and without a hint of remorse or self-preservation, Artemis truthfully described, "Because you are. You are an asshole. But that's okay? Now, you may ask, 'how could the act of being an asshole ever be considered acceptable?' the answer to that lies within your age. You're a teenager Apollo. And Teenagers, by in large, are usually assholes. I was myself, and to this day, I've shown some characteristics of that nature. But one day, you'll grow out of that need to rebel and argue about everything, and you'll be a much more thankful person. Will you accept things as they are? Maybe, maybe not. Who knows? But for now, the best thing to do is to catch you in the act of doing something neglectful and harmful to one's emotional health, and just stop."

Apollo couldn't have agreed more. Maybe that's why Apollo lived by the Denis Leary motto. "I'm an asshole, and I'm proud of it." It's one thing to be an asshole. It's another thing when you're self-aware. He slid back into his seat as his thought and worries escaped him. Then, curiosity struck him.

"So what's the plan?" Apollo asked.

Artemis shrugged his shoulders. "Well, as you know, we are being hunted. And it doesn't take an expert to know that the best defense is a good offense. So, rather than just stand down and hide away, I, Holly, Foaly, Julius, and Mulch are going to travel to France and investigate the whereabouts of Marvin Lawrence; Opal weapons provider. Once we have the exact location of Opal's compound in the Sahara desert, we'll go after her, and finish the job that should have been completed a long time ago." A dark look plastered itself on his face as he exclaimed that last sentence. Destiny was going to unfold, and a chapter in Arty's life was going to be completed. The unfortunately side effect of this was, Apollo was not going to be a witness to that epic conclusion. "You, Grub, and Trouble are going to remain in the manor."

To say that Apollo was disappointed would've been an understatement. "What? Why?" Apollo exclaimed.

Artemis quirked a brow. "Do I really need to say it?" Artemis exclaimed sardonically. Then in all seriousness, "Apollo, you're the most valued member of our group right now. If you get captured or killed, the world is as good as done. We need to protect you. So, in order to do that, our first priority should be to keep you as far away from danger as possible. Grub and Trouble are good friends and are expert officers. I wouldn't worry about a thing."

"That doesn't concern me," Apollo stated. He shook away his anger, as he caught himself in the act of teenage ignorance. He calmed himself down and began to define his terms. "Besides my music, I don't think I ever felt this heavily invested in anything like this before. This is a true mission. It's like something out of a sci-fi fantasy novel. I want to experience it. Plus, I also want to make up for all the crappy things I did to you."

A light bulb flickered on in Artemis Fowl's brain. "You want to make it up to me?" He asked Apollo; fully knowing the answer. "You want to be a good boy? You'll stay in the manor. Besides, your biggest investment that you have made to this mission is staying alive. Don't screw it up now."

Apollo slid back in his seat with his arms crossed. Artemis Fowl was right, as always. If Apollo truly wanted to make it up to his father after such a bad first impression, the best thing he could do would be to obey his command. If Apollo were to follow his father, he'd more than likely end up dead. Apollo didn't want to die. But then again, Apollo didn't want to be left out of the mission either. It was a mental tight rope act, but in the end, the pros of staying in the manor, outweighed the cons of following Artemis to his grave. With nothing else left to say or do, Apollo began to set his eyes back upon the road, and listen to the monotone humming of the wind and their car engine running. After a while, however, the silence became to dreadful to listen to any longer, and the lad reached into his pocket, and pulled out his IPod.

"Mind if we listen to some tunes," Apollo asked as the machinery and headphones spilled into his hands.

Artemis, who was way too focused on the road, and way too tired to give a damn, decided to let it slide, and announced, "Why not."

However, Artemis Fowl's attitude changed when the song began playing. Apollo's song choice was a wise investment into getting Arty to understand and appreciate Apollo's musical taste. Arty's pupil's dilated when the sound of the grand piano forming the F chord reached his ear drums. And then, sublime even in this heavenly song, David Bowie's voice rang out from the Bentley's speakers.

"It's a God Awful small Affair/ to the girl with the mousy hair." David Bowie sang.

_Life on Mars _by David Bowie was a perfect song choice because, A.) Artemis Fowl highly appreciated and worshiped David Bowie music, and b.) Apollo realized that Arty had a rough day. And, also Arty's love for The Bowie, what better way to relax from today's events and relief the tension between the two than to listen to one of the greatest songs ever in existence.

As the song continued to play, Artemis began to sweat. He became very nervous. Why? It wouldn't be long before his mental wall broke down and he would start to sing along with the music. How embarrassing would it be for Apollo to witness that? His own father singing poorly to a David Bowie song? But then, something incredible happened. As the song continued to play, Artemis heard a strange harmonic tune coming from the passenger seat. He realized that Apollo was humming along to the music. Poorly, might I add. Maybe that was why Apollo was just a drummer, and not a singer. And out of nowhere, the humming transformed itself, into actually words, and Apollo began to sing along.

"But her friend is nowhere to be seen/ so she walks through a sunken dream." Apollo passionately sang with the tune. It was a song that affected him a lot on an emotional level, and that fact displayed itself when Apollo sang.

Finally, Arty's mental barrier crumbled into little tiny pieces, and he just gave up, and decided to indulge in the music in his own way.

"To the seats with the clearest view/ and she's hooked to the silver screen." The father and former teenage prodigy quietly began.

When Apollo heard this, he snapped to attention immediately. He had no idea that Artemis would begin to sing along. And while his voice was so bad, it was almost painful to hear, it strangely brought joy to his heart to hear his father desperately wanting to sing along. The only problem was, his confidence was so low, that he didn't have the courage to try and sing through it. Well, lucky for him, Apollo was a great confidence booster.

Staring right back at his father with a very wide grin, Apollo smiled and sang, "But the film is so saddening bore/ for she's lived it ten times or more!"

Artemis, while he was curious as to why Apollo wanted him to sing, felt weight being lifted off his shoulders when he realized that there would be no judgment on vocal qualities. With an even bigger smile, he proclaimed right back, along with the music, "She could spit in the eyes of Fool's/ as they ask her to focus on,"

And then, they lost themselves. Deep within the abysses of the wonderful music and the magnificent message of the song, Artemis and Apollo belted out the lyrics in a fashion that was more recognized with either town drunks or famous rock stars. Luckily for them, no one in the back woke up from their horrendous screaming. They smiled, laughed, and played along like father and son. Their bond was now complete, and while they knew that they wouldn't always see eye to eye, this moment made them realize that no matter what happened, they could look past their differences. For they shared one common trait. Passion. Whether it was for music or for science, truth or faith, the passion was there, and nothing could take that away. They were to valiant souls in the violent pinball game called life. And this was one of those moments that would remain in their minds forever. They had some of the greatest fun ever, as they sang out lot, together, in unsynchronized, but perfect harmony. Their voices carried on, into the dark and blissful Ireland night life….

"SAILORS! FIGHTING IN THE DANCE HALL/ OH MAN! LOOK AT THOSE CAVEMEN GO/ IT'S THE FREAKIEST SHOW/ TAKE A LOOK AT THE LAWMAN! BEATING UP THE WRONG GUY/ OH MAN! WONDER IF HE'LL EVER KNOW/ HE'S IN THE BEST SELLING SHOW! IS THERE LIFE ON MARS?"

* * *

The Bentley quietly pulled up to the manor's doorstep, in a complete disregard to Apollo and Artemis's karaoke idol that happened earlier tonight. Apollo was the first to step out of the vehicle; followed by Grub and Trouble who had been woken up earlier by a slap to the face from Holly. As Grub and Trouble stumbled into the house to make themselves comfortable, and Holly walked in for a brief second to show Trouble and Grub's the ins and outs of the manor, Apollo turned to his father, leaned his head into the passenger window, and began to make light conversation with his dad for the first time ever. It would be the first of many.

"So when do you reckon on being back?" Apollo asked.

"I don't have enough information at the moment to make an accurate estimation. But from my calculations, I'd say that if nothing goes wrong, opal will be buried 6 feet under in just 2 weeks." Artemis proclaimed with a smug grin. "I do want to apologies for your baby sitters though."

"I hate the fact that I'll have to be constantly guarded for the rest of my life." Apollo exasperated lightly as he turned his head to stare at the buffoons who would accompany him in the manor.

With a chuckle, Artemis proclaimed, "Welcome to the Fowl family my son. You're going to be guarded for the rest of your life."

Apollo lightly laughed at this comment. Then, as the laughter faded away, his eyes welded up with tears. His voice cracked when he spoke. "Listen….uh….I just want to apologize for being such a smart-ass, and a brat and I don't know what I'd be without y-"

Artemis Fowl cut him off short. And speaking of Short, Holly was making her way back to the car right now. Artemis told his son, "Relax. It's okay. Remember what I said earlier. If you really want to make it up to me, go in there and have some fun."

Apollo shrugged his shoulder and turned around to face the manor. That strange gothic design never ceased to amaze the lad, even to this very day. The height of the manor alone was enough to give Apollo a horrible case of vertigo. Before he walked into the manor and passed Holly, he told his father goodbye. However, in his goodbye, he said something that made Artemis thought the whole universe had exploded in a cheerful, yet cataclysmic explosion.

Walking forward Apollo proclaimed. "Okay. See you later _dad."_

Artemis Fowl's jaw dropped. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. Did he just go deaf? Was he hallucinating?

Holly caught whiffed of what had happened, and she was amazed by the whole experienced. Honestly, she was completely shocked and flabbergasted at how fast and how well their son turned to loving his father. Her jaw dropped as well. Once Apollo was inside, Holly proclaimed to her husband. "Did he just say what I think he said?"

A small tear of joy flowed down his face. It was the happiest moment of Artemis Fowl's laugh. He was now, a certifiable father. But his own kid recognized his existence, with one simple word.

"He called me daddy."

* * *

"_Your father loves you, but he doesn't like you. His job is to tell you that you suck, and are worthless, so that when you get out there on your own, you don't end up sucking worthlessly. He makes you a better man, so that one day, you will have the strength and character, to give him the finger. You just pray that, on that day, he doesn't have the strength to rip that finger off"_

_Christopher Titus_

* * *

**It's a pretty short chapter, but that basically rounds out the first major segment of the story in a nutshell. So, in other words, the beginning is done, and the introduction to the major conflict has arrived, and the conflict between Artemis and Apollo has just been resolved. WOOT! Now they can have father and son moments. *cues the cheesy music that goes 'people let me tell you about my best friend.'***

**I love the song choice btw. Listen to this song if ever possible. It's one of those songs you have to hear before you die. It will enhance your life. and yet, I still have no clue what the fuck Bowie was talking about. Strangely I picked two quotes for this chapter. Why? Well, I picked Bill Hicks because, he's LEGENDARY! And I picked Titus because he's my favorite comedian. I also picked Titus because I just listen to his newest special, Neverloution, (which is out on ITunes right now) and I got to say, if any one were to pick up the baton where Bill Hicks left off, I'd pick Titus. That album made me want to start a riot. It's amazing and you should buy it immediately. **

**Anyways, thank you so much for reading this chapter, and God Bless. PLEASE REVIEW! **

**PLEASE REVIEW! **


	15. Sledding sucks! pranking rules!

**HI EVERYONE! I'M BACK. Took me a while. Life's going great so far.** **I got a brand spanking new collection of westerns I plan to watch on the weekends. Also, I've uploaded a new YouTube video. It's another one man band, but it's my own ORIGIANL SONG! Many more original songs will soon follow. Please visit the link here: .com/watch?v=z6tfi4vi0gk **

**Other than that, there really isn't much else to report. Except….MY BIRTHDAY'S COMING UP! September 1****ST****! Coincidently, I have the same birth date as Artemis Fowl. And, in an even more extreme coincidence, September 1****st**** was when I posted the first chapter of Apollo. The one year anniversary is coming up quick. So I'll probably write this one out and after posting this chapter, I'll begin working on another chapter of Apollo instead of a different story. **

**The only bad news to report of is that school is about to start for me. If you're reading this on August 17****th****, I'm currently bored out of my mind and taking algebra 2. I should've taken the extra gym class. But I really want to go to a good college.**

**So, without further ado, here it is. **

**Song: "I'm your Boogie Man," By: KC & the Sunshine Band.**

"_Women say this all the time. 'Chivalry is dead." That's right. Chivalry is dead, and women killed it. __*few minutes later in the act*__ you ever had this happen to you? This is how confusing these women have become. So you're out at bar, or a club, and you're kicking it back with your boys. And all of a sudden, this girl walks by, and man she looks good. She looks good, but not good in that classical way. I mean, I'm talking good like, she's got half her ass hanging out her skirt, her titties are mashed together, popping out of her turtle neck and shit. And you're with your buddies right? You got a couple of drinks in ya. So when you see a girl like that, a guy might try to talk to her, but it won't come out right. You know. He might say….'DAMN LOOK AT THEM TITTIES!' and the woman freaks out. She'll gasp and shit. "NOW WAIT JUST A SECOND! Just because I dress this way, does not make me a whore!" which is true. Gentlemen, that's true. Just because they dress a certain way, doesn't mean they act a certain way. But ladies, the thing is, it's fucking confusing! That would be like if I was walking the streets in a cop uniform. Someone might run up to me. "Officer! Thank god. Officer! The robbers are getter a-" and I'll be like. "Now wait just a second. Just because I dress like this; does not make me a police officer." You know, it's like "okay lady, you're not a whore. But you are wearing a whore's uniform."_

_Dave Chappell_

**Somewhere in Paris France.**

The bakery on the corner right next to the Tipton hotel was a local hot spot for the teenagers of Paris to gather around. It was very comfortable, very original, and had a prestigious home-like, village-side, atmosphere that many hipsters from France appreciated to the point that the bakery was considering mass producing. The Bakery served pies on Wednesdays, cinnamon buns on Thursdays, and Chocolate cake on Fridays. But none of these things kept the teenagers flocking back time and time again. It helped, it really did, but the cakes and pies were not the sole reason of the bakery's popularity. What the teenagers really loved, what they really cherished was the product that the bakery sold every day. And what did this particular bakery sell every day?

Cappuccino's.

The kids LOVED them. They drank up that thick brownish, white hot, frapping drink like it was the source of all life. The sweet texture and burning sensation the drink created as it went down someone's throat was enough to make anyone's head spin. The main chef, Jacque Deque, said that the secrete ingredient to this very popular drink was 'the love and admiration I put into it, thinking of how much we as adults enjoy children.' And apparently, this love worked, because every signal customer that came in always had a smile on their face.

But on this very day, there was one exception: one customer that presented herself with a groan and frown. And that person or elf in this case, was none other than Holly Short.

No amount of caffeinated sugary beverages would help her. She had just been awoken from a long and strenuous hour and a half flight from Dublin to Paris, which was the only time she was allowed to sleep. Her head still throbbed with the head-ache received from last night's encounters and exciting moments. And it really didn't improve her self esteem when she remembered that she was dressed in this gods-awful, dirty, scandalous disguise that was dawned upon her by her so called 'loving husband' who wanted nothing more than to see her wear a skirt for the first time ever. Holly Short loathed skirts. In her mind, no woman with any self decency would ever wear an article of clothing that would allow a man an upward view of her private areas. Along with the demonic skirt, Holly was ousted with a very thin, paper-like, sleeveless green-white-yellow stripped shirt. Covering her face was the largest pair of sun glasses that Holly had ever seen. Did mud-teenagers not want their faces to be shown? It was unbearable for Holly to look like a Lindsey Lohand, Paris Hilton look alike for even a millisecond.

But the worst part that Holly had to endure was the earring that also acted as an earpiece. Why in the hell, would anyone think to his or herself, 'you know what I'm going to do, I'm going to have a random stranger stick a piping hot needle through my ear so it can create a hole, and then I want him to put a bolt with a precious stone attach to it through my ear'? Did these teenagers simply feel no pain? It was disgusting. Barbaric even. It got even more unsettling for Holly when she and noticed the teenagers surrounding the area. Nose-rings, lips piercings, nipple piercings…..Holly felt that she was going to throw up.

Suddenly, her earring began vibrating and a voice was heard audibly in her head.

"Hey Holly," Foaly spoke through a microphone into Holly's earpiece. "How you holding up there girl?"

"Terrible," Holly exasperated quietly. In worldly logic, her situation wasn't dire, but in her mind, it was very dire. "If I see another mud-boy or girl with a belly button piercing, I think I might throw up."

Suddenly, Artemis's voice rang out through the microphone. "Let's just hope that Apollo doesn't want one."

"Amen to that," Holly agreed full heartedly.

The Boys, (meaning Artemis, Foaly, Mulch and Julius,) we're stationed in a speed boat just along one of the many waterways that Europe had to offer for a quick escape if the boys would desperately need in. a Laymen would've thought they were in Italy had the Layman not paid attention to his surroundings. The boat was rather small, but the computers and stolen LEP equipment (the boys thank Mulch and Julius for that one) gave off the allusion that the boat had to be so much bigger to haul around the equipment. However, if one were to move, they would've been greeted by a wire to the face, and shortly they would realize that navigating this speed boat would be treacherous and troublesome. Artemis was feeling rather cramped and did not like it at all. Maybe that was part of the reason that he gave Holly that god awful disguise. It was only fair that Artemis shared the pain. If he was to suffer, Holly would have to suffer as well. He knew that while the disguise served its purpose, he also knew that Holly hated skirts.

And it didn't take long after Foaly checked in on Holly for the complaints to roll in.

"I seriously doubt that this was a clever disguise." Holly spoke to on the intercom. "It's not that it doesn't work, it's just I absolutely hate it. Skirts? Really? And what the hell is up with this small sleeveless shirt? It might as well be a tank top. And these glasses. What's up with that?"

"Holly," Artemis spoke in a soft mellow tone, assuring his wife that he was serious, but was enjoying every minute of Holly's annoyance. "You are now immersed in what a layman would call a 'hipster hangout.' Hipsters are rather well known for wearing small, almost juvenile pieces of clothing that seem more appropriate to be seen in a thrift store; thus the small shirt. Hipsters are also known for their affection and worship of Irony, both situational and accidental. The skirt, which is mostly business attire, seems rather odd to be worn with a thrift store tank top, wouldn't you agree?"

"hmmph," Holly angrily, but playfully breathed. "You just like seeing my long tone legs, that's all."

"While your amazingly and heavenly attractive to begin with, I find that skirts and other forms of female business attire put me in a intimate state of sexual tension that makes you impossible to resist." Artemis said with a smile.

"All right you two little rascals," Foaly proclaimed as he grabbed the microphone from Arty's hands. "Let's get serious now."

Approximately at that moment, a man fitting the description of Marvin Lawrence walked right past Holly and into the Bakery. Holly activated her iris cam as a result. Computer banks back at the speed boat kicked on, and now not only did they have a security camera view of Marvin (due to the fact that they hacked into the France security system and now had the live streaming surveillance fee from inside the bakery) but they also had a first person colorized view of Marvin, along with live audio.

Marvin was your typical fairy in disguise. Apparently, as part of initiation into Opal's group planning on taking over the world, one had to insert a human growth hormone into his or her brain to make their magic powerless, so they were equal, if not weaker than Opal. (Lope, who was reported dead that afternoon in the underground news, was the only exception due to the fact that he also had to serve as a council member.) As part of an allergic reaction, some of the fairies' skin tones would rapidly change colors. Marvin was amazingly and devastatingly white when he was a fairy. Now he was black; dead black; so black that Holly could've sworn that he looked blue. He had a square jaw, square hair, square fists, even the tie that he wore that day had a square pattern design on the front. The only thing that was circular, were his ears which had been cut off and sown back on to look like a human's.

Marvin held a coffee and a donut when he exited the bakery. He began to scan his surroundings searching for a place to sit. Then something incredible happened. As he was searching for a place to sit, his eyes landed on Holly. The girl noticed a strange and somewhat eerie smile grow across his face once he saw her. Marvin took a sip of his coffee, and began to walk towards her.

Holly's heart rate increased even more when he began to do this. A small sweat appeared on her fore-head, which was made even worst due to the large wool hat she wore for her disguise. She had no clue what Marvin's intentions were. So she had to act fast. From what she could tell, Marvin didn't appear harmed, and his facial expression was soft. It was creepy, that was a given, but it wasn't dangerous. Holly needed a distraction so she could speak with the boys to find out what was going on. She noticed a fork on the table. Yes! Her escape. When Marvin began to sit down, Holly gave forth a shy and meek "Hello." With her left hand, as she said this, she 'accidently' knocked her fork to the floor. She proclaimed "oops, excuse me." And reached down to pick it up.

Her voice through the monitors back at the speed boat proved just how shaken she was. "Guys, what the hell is going on?" she whispered harshly.

The emotions back at the speed boat were mixed. Artemis was angered, and disappointed, but he was not at all shocked, and realized that he knew what Holly had to do for the greater good. Foaly was simple shocked and had no clue how to tell Holly the terrible news. Mulch, was laughing as hard as ever.

"Holly-Girl," Foaly stated nervously. "I hate to inform you, but using your iris cam I activated a thermal scanner and an X-ray vision scanner, and I believe….no….I'm positively certain now, that Marvin is aroused and is trying to pick you up."

Holly's blood went cold.

"Are you freaking kidding me?" she proclaimed quietly. "I'm bent over right now. This is a very bad situation."

Artemis at this point grabbed the microphone. His voice came off as calm and collective. "Holly, just stay calm."

Holly was in no mood to talk to her husband. "Oh, shut up Arty." She murmured ruthlessly into the ear piece. "This is your fault anyway. Dressing me up in a skirt. I knew that exposing my legs would be a bad idea."

Artemis settled himself back at the speed boat by taking a deep breath in, and counting to 5. Once he exhaled, he explained the situation from his point of view, hoping Holly could see the silver lining in this strange and bizarre situation. "Listen to me." He began. "While I'm as sickened and disgusted as you are, I think this puts us at an advantage. Instead of having to do Intel to get a confirmation that he's supplying weapons, now we can just simply ask him. He finds you attractive, and is willing to talk. So make him talk. Don't be predicable though. And whatever you do, don't literally ask him about the weapons. Smile, crack a joke, be sexy if you must, but most importantly, act natural."

And with that, Artemis got off the mike. Holly's heart raced as she got back up from the ground and laid her fork back on the table. She looked into Marvin's eyes. Classic mistake. She was even more frightened now than she was before. She recognized that fire in the back of his eyes instantly. Lust. The man wanted to take Holly now and hump her on this very table. She was frightened, but she had a job to do. So, shaking it off, she smiled, and said allowed in a charming, some-what interested tone, "so….what brings you here to this table?"

Marvin sipped his coffee, and gave his reply. "I came here because honestly…you're the first elf I've seen up here in ages."

_Drat! _She thought. _He knows. At least now I don't have to wear this infernal wool hat. _It seemed as if her years up on the surface, watching high quality mud-man cinema had paid off. With a somewhat disappointed scowl, she took off her hat, analyzed it, and told Marvin "really?"

"Yep," Marvin replied.

"Dammit. These disguises don't do shit." Holly replied as she placed the wool hat on the her hair finally released from its wooly chains, she ran her hands through it, savoring the fact that she finally could relieve her hair. Then, she looked a Marvin. A strange silence fell upon them. The wind rustled for a bit and Holly could hear a car horn off in the distance.

Then, without warning, Marvin asked. "So what did you do?"

"Huh?" Holly replied.

"What did you do to get banished?" Marvin asked. "It takes a lot of work to get banished from Haven….or Atlantis. Where do you come from actually?"

"I was born and raised in Haven," Holly announced to the fairy, who now seemed less threatening with each passing sentence. "But I currently live here."

"Haven. Nice place." Marvin responded. "It also a lot harder to get banished from there than it is in Atlantis. You must have done something pretty serious to end up here. Must've been something naughty. So tell me, what did you do?"

This placed Holly in a pickle. She really didn't have a back story to go with the character she was roll playing with right now. She did, however, wanted to be creative. She knew that it did, indeed, took a lot of crimes for the council to consider you banishment worthy. Unbeknownst to her, she began with the phrase "I didn't really do anything naughty." Then, the light bulb clicked on. A silly thought presented itself in her head. A sly smile grew on her face. It was devilish, it was evil, it was just plain wrong. But it amused her. Silently, she powered her brain waves to telepathically tell her husband 'sorry.' (Due to their partnership, they could do that.)

And then, she said. "Actually, I did do something quite mischievous." She smiled and shrugged as if she was embarrassed to say it. "If you must know," she proclaimed with a blush. "I fucked a mud-man."

Marvin almost chocked on his coffee. His eyes went wide and his arousal became even more hyperactive. Setting the coffee down, he eyed Holly playfully. "Really?" he spoke. "I didn't know the council considered that banishment worthy."

"Actually, they didn't banish me." Holly said, making it up as she went along. "I followed my human lover here."

Marvin shrugged his shoulders. "I guess what they say is true. Once you go mud-man…." He let that sentence end openly, knowing full well that Holly, being a fairy, obviously knew the ending to such a sentence. (And let me just say that if I were to post that outrageously obscene punch line, universes would crumble). Marvin sipped his coffee and then asked, "so what exactly happened. I'm quite interested to know actually."

The story flew off Holly's tongue with ease and grace; as if the story had been her all time greatest sexual fantasy.

"Well, the human guy was some major politician guy who was promoting ideas of peace, the type of guy us mythical creatures would want to keep around right? So, one day, he gets in this massive car wreck just outside the Tara shuttle port. This guy got mangled and torn up pretty badly, so instead of letting the mud men take him to a barbaric clinic, or even worst, and emergency room, we decided to intervene and we took the man down to Haven and operated on him. He stayed down there for quite a while. Three months actually. It took him that long to get his strength back. Nice man. Really nice man. I became his nurse and I had to feed him and cloth him for a while. Well, on the last day he stayed, I got a little frisky. It was full moon, so I blame that as my cause for eyeing him seductively. I was tempted, I was curious, so I decided to fuck him. Needless to say, he didn't refuse. So he gets brainwashed, I fell in love, and I followed him up here. Then, I found a new love; this city…..and that pretty much sums it up." Holly proclaimed with flawlessly perfected acting. Even Artemis back at the speed boat was shocked at how well written and how well that story sounded. His jaw was on the floor in amazement. Then, with a smile, Holly asked Marvin, "and what about you? What devilish evil thing did you do to get up here?"

"Oh, I'll tell ya." Marvin exclaimed as he drank his coffee. Then, he stood up and straightened his tie, as he announced, "But unfortunately, this place bores me. I know this great dance club just a few blocks from here though. Wanna tag along?"

Holly looked around and studied her surroundings. As she recognized more and more piercings surrounding the Bakery, she realized she had two options. She could either stay here, not get a lead on Marvin, and be subjected by the torturous forest of bell button diamonds. Or, she could follow Marvin.

As if Holly had a choice.

* * *

**Back at the Fowl Manor.**

To an average sized human, the Manor was considered large, huge even. The hallways would seem to endlessly stretch out in front of the guest, and the walls looked as if they were 10 stories high. Now, to an elf, the manor seemed like a small city. The place was _gigantic! _The outer walls of Jericho couldn't even match up to the stylistic beauty and before mentioned height of the Manor walls, at least, that's what Grub and Trouble thought as they staggered up the stairs. While Trouble was disappointed that their new mission almost seemed like babysitting duty, (in fact, there was no denying it. It _was _babysitting duty.) It couldn't have been in a better place. Trouble had only seen the manor through video feed in the past, and he was always curious about what it would be like to live in such a place; to live in the nest of the mastermind that was Artemis Fowl the 2nd. Now, that Trouble found himself in the Lion's den, he was utterly happy, and finally realized way Artemis seemed so smug in his attitude. It was utterly justifiable. Not only was he one of the richest people in the world, he had mansion that backed up that clam. Trouble was awestricken as he walked up the stairs.

Grub was just a few feet behind him. He didn't necessarily care where he was at. As long as no more bullets were going to fly his way, he was happy. And he was with his brother. And if he recalled correctly, this would've been the first time in years that he and his brother finally had a normal conversation without any wise cracking. That was a double bonus.

Apart from that, there was one thing that Troulbe and Grub disliked about the position they were put in.

"Seriously. What's with rich guys and long ass flights of stairs?" Trouble announced with a wheeze. Hell, even he was fairly well fit due to his position on the LEP, and yet he was getting out of breath. Or maybe he spent too much time at his desk now that he was commander. But that ceased to matter. He didn't know, and he didn't care. All that mattered was the fact that the stairs seemed to stretch on forever and ever, to a point that it was driving poor trouble mad. "I mean, not only is it long and high, but it's circular too, so now I have to turn to the left to keep my balance. I swear, if my gluts aren't ripped by the time I get to the top of the stairs, I'm going to be pissed."

"I fully 100% agree with you brother." Grub shouted from behind. He was out of breath as well. "I hope that whatever we find up here is worth it."

Once they finally reached the top of the stairs, the condition they were in seemed more fitting for a war movie than a work out. Trouble literally held out his hand from the top of the stairs to assist in helping grub up. And if Grub didn't have any once of shame, he would've announced in a dry voice "go on without me."

Instead, Trouble pulled up his brother, they dusted themselves up, and they began to explore the upper level of the manor. The hallways were aligned with doors. Each door lead into a different room, and each room seemed to be a world all of its own. The brothers were mesmerized when they opened the first door to the left (which lead into a giant gymnasium) and they decided at that moment to make a solemn vow to go into every room and look inside. They seemed a multitude of rooms. They found a bathroom that seemed to be in a Roman/Greek stylistic art universe. They found a music room that seemed to contain _every signal instrument known to man! _(And fairies as well.)But they're favorite room, which was the one they currently exploring, was the storage room. It was neatly organized and spaced out in such a way, that the brothers didn't have any problem navigating their way through the random boxes of trinkets and pictures to which they desired to look at. At one point, they were wrapped up in flipping through a scrap book that was created by Angelina Fowl. They landed on a baby picture of Artemis.

"How can something so evil look so innocent when they're that young?" Grub remarked as he looked over his brother's shoulder.

"Well, we all have a dark side, and we all have a bright side." Trouble stated as he held the picture booklet in his hand. "It's almost like 2 wolves or inside us. And they one we feed more, defines us."

Grub shrugged his shoulders and became to glance around the room, looking for something else to occupy his interests. "I never knew you were much of a philosopher." Grub teased openly as his as scattered about the room.

"I drabble," Trouble remarked. Then he flipped the page. He grew a smile as he saw the picture. It was taken in the middle of winter. Arty seemed to be 8 years old. It was taken near a hill and Arty stood with his father while the kid held a toboggan in his hand. It caught his eye immediately. He just didn't picture a small arty having normal childhood fun as a kid.

Grub continued to search the room, and then his eyes landed on an object in the corner. It was rather large; it looked old and made of wood. It seemed almost aerodynamic in a way. And apparently, there seemed to be 2 long thin red steel rods connected to it. Although he assumed that it was a sled, he couldn't particularly make it out due to the cob webs that almost devoured it. So Grub called for his brother.

"Hey Trouble!" Grub called out from the corner of the room. "Come look at this."

Trouble slammed the book shut and made his way to the back of the room beside his brother. He automatically recognized the object when his eyes landed on the object. He quickly picked it up and dusted it off. With a glee only matched by his smile, he proclaimed, "Holy shit! It's the sled that I saw in the photo!"

"What?" Grub asked, unsure of what his brother was talking about.

"I saw this photo of Artemis when he was a kid, and he was sledding down a hill." Trouble observed.

"Whoa!" Grub stated amazed. "Artemis acted like…._a kid?"_

"I know right?" Trouble smiled. "Apparently this must've been his sled he used as a kid."

"Huh," Grub exhaled as he observed this so called fine piece of childhood fun. It seemed almost ancient. It seemed like it was 100 year old, and Grub was the actually 100 years old. This thing couldn't support any weight if it tried.

So no wonder Grub was frighten when Trouble grew a nasty, mischievous smile, as a thought entered his brain and began to brew like Hispanic coffee.

"Wanna ride it down the stairs?" Trouble playfully asked. He felt like a kid all over again. If only there was snow.

* * *

**Still in the Manor. **

Grub was painfully frightened. He never really knew what it felt like to have an anxiety attack. But at this particular moment, as Grub found himself behind his brother on the sled which rested at the top of the stair, he felt like he couldn't breathe. Their fate rested in this slow teeter totter movement that the sled was creating.

"I don't think we should be doing this." Grub timidly announced as he gripped his brother tightly, knowing damn good and well that if he let go, it would be the last thing he'd ever do.

Trouble turned around and presented a grin that would've made the Catshire Cat green with envy. "C'mon. Live a little." Trouble teased as he elbowed his brother in the ribs. Then, he leaned forward. The Toboggan fell forward as well. And they were off.

The brothers would latter compare the experience to being shot out of a cannon. The colors around them seemed to melt together like the aftereffects of a really bad water painting drying out in the sun while still wet. The speed was tremendous, and even though there was no G-Force, their hair felt like it was going to rip off of their skulls. What made the journey down the stairs even more exciting was the fact that it was a spiral staircase. Meaning that Trouble had to lean to the right all the way down to keep them from slamming into the walls. However, if he leaned too far, the sled would turn over and they would end up falling down the rest of the stairs, lost in a sea of flailing limbs. It was glorious. The adrenaline was amazing.

Thankfully, the boys managed to almost make it down every step without an accident. _Almost. _ For, at the forth to last stair, when victory was seen rapidly approaching, the front end of the sled caught on to the carpet stairs. The toboggan then acted like a spring board, and in Nasa terms, the boys were launched. And due to the inclined and steep angles of which the boys were falling, entry was going to be painful. There was no time to react or brace themselves once the boys found themselves in the air. There was no time to prepare for the rough landing that boys were going to receive. The only thing that the brothers could do as they saw the floor of the manor getting closer and closer, was just to pray to the Gods that it wouldn't hurt as much as they thought it would.

Grub landed on his shoulder and did a complete three cartwheels before finally slowing down at the edge of the manor's front door. Trouble received the bitter end of the stick, as he ended up doing a belly flop on the hard cold wooden floor. He slid along the floor, and his face drug along. He moved about a good 2 feet before he finally stopped. Sparks emitted from his face and stomach as his body heeled the broken ribs and nose. Grub's shoulder naturally re-aligned itself and popped back into its socket. They groaned in pain. They knew there were going to be sore in the morning.

Then the door opened.

Trouble looked up…..and was mesmerized. Now he understood why Holly decided to marry someone of the human race. This girl was dropped dead _gorgeous! _She was the embodiment of all things beautiful and seductive. Her long red hair seemed to flow on forever, even though it ended at the small of her back. Her skin tone was pale white; white as marble. Her small, yet pointy nose was cute. She wore a white button up shirt that might as well not have even been worn at all. It was almost, completely see through. Her she wore a long black satin skirt that ended just at her knees. Even the glasses she wore, gave off this sexy vibe and completed this lustful aura that surrounded her.

So who could blame Trouble, when he opened his mouth and said five words and these five words only. "I want to fuck you." He growled.

The girl smiled for a quick second. Then she made her way past Trouble and started up the stairs.

"Can it you horny little pipsqueak." Melinda playfully announced as she began to walk up the stairs. "I'm not into that kind of shit."

Trouble immediately got up off the floor, disheveled, and began to rearrange himself to appear appealing to the woman. "Well you can never know until you try it," Trouble proclaimed as he ran up the stairs to catch up with her. "You know what they say. Once you go elf."

"Hey, wait a minute," Grub shouted as he pulled himself off the floor and ran up the stairs to meet up with his brother and this random house guest. "Who exactly are you?"

"My name's Melinda Butler." She said with an almost uncanny sense of self-accomplishment.

Trouble's eyes widen. "Whoa! You're a Butler?" Trouble cried aloud, surprised by such an allegation.

"I'm Juliet's daughter." Melinda proclaimed.

Trouble was literally shaking in his boots. All thought of making love to this woman were quickly dissolved when she announced that she was Juliet's daughter. Trouble pitied the poor soul who would even dare try to sleep with Melinda, let alone just try to kiss. They would forever be on Juliet's hit list. And they could run, but they couldn't hide.

"Why are you here?" Trouble asked politely. A small hint of fear was audible in his voice.

"I'm officially entitled to protect Apollo," She stated. (Trouble muttered under his breath, "lucky bastard."). "Anyways," Melinda continued. "Artemis told me and my mom to stay in the Dublin national airport when he left the house with Holly and Julius. Then, last night, he texted for me to come over and guard Apollo with you guys, while my mom went off to Paris. Her flight got delayed though, so she's a bit behind. Where is Apollo by the way?"

"He's up stairs sleeping." Grub informed her.

Melinda checked her watch. She was particularly awestruck. "You mean to tell me that it's 2 in the afternoon and he's still asleep?"

"He had a long night." Trouble defended.

A demonic grin presented itself on her face. She reached into her purse as she exclaimed mischievously, "perfect." The, she pulled out an air horn. "Now, can one of you guys skateboard?" she asked in a matter of fact sort of way as both her and the kelp brothers managed their way up the stairs.

"I use to hover board as a kid." Trouble said.

"That'll do Marty McFly." Melinda proclaimed as she patted Trouble on the back. The commander tensed up. He only hopped to the Gods that Juliet didn't have a camera on her wherever she was at. "You; grab Apollo's skate board and wait outside his door down the hall." Then she turned her head to Grub and handed him shaving cream. "You: follow me."

* * *

**Back in Paris.**

While Juliet was typically a morning person, this morning when she woke up she felt slightly groggy. Maybe it was due to lack of sleep. Or maybe in her mind she just really didn't want to get up and face this day. Whatever may be the case, Juliet certainly couldn't ignore the sunlight shinning through her sleeping bag anymore, so she got up. She was stationed on the deck of the ship, due to the fact that the inside was filled to the brim with computers. The only place that wasn't overflowing with technology was the bedroom in which Artemis and Holly were sleeping in. and she certainly didn't want to see her best friend and her old boss getting it on anymore than the next person.

As she got out of the sleeping bag, for a brief second, she seemed somewhat humiliated in her attire. She wore a pair of pajama pants, and a sleeping bra. Nothing else was added to her person; not even panties. She felt somewhat humiliated and covered herself; it was an instinct as if she was prepared for some pervert to be staring at her. However, she didn't dwell on it too long, and with a great big massive yawn, she made her way down into the cabin of the speed boat to meet her new/old friends; Mulch and Julius and Foaly.

She seemed to have stumbled upon a scene. As she lightly tripped over a wire than ran across the floor, she saw Artemis doing something completely out of the ordinary. While Mulch Stood back and watched as Julius and Foaly tired to make some form of contact with Holly, Artemis was slamming the side of the monitor with the palm of his hand. _Artemis _was _abusing technology. _

"Dammit!" Artemis shouted as he struck the side of the computer. "Work you son of a bitch!"

"Testing, Testing," Foaly spat into the microphone lightly as he bent of to reach it. "Holly can you hear me? Holly can you hear me?"

"Her heart rate seems a bit abnormal, and for some reason brain activity is lowering, like she's losing brain cells." Julius commented aloud to himself. "What the hell is going on?"

"What's going on here?" Juliet exclaimed; confused at the sight that was set before her.

All of the boys turned around and eyed Juliet suspiciously. They all appeared to have some sort of a scowl on their face. It wasn't that they were temporarily offended by Juliet's non-chalet statement. It was more along the lines that they were temporarily caught off guard, and thus, due to the amazing amount of stress they were dealing with at the moment, all anger was reflected and thrown upon Juliet.

Julius was the first to come out of his egotistical, macho-male bullshit rage moment he was experiencing, and shook his head, disappointed in himself. Then he got up, and with the calmest voice imaginable, Julius told Juliet. "We lost Iris cam feed and radio communications with Holly several minutes ago."

"I just don't quite comprehend it," Artemis exclaimed as he seemingly ran his fingers through his hair. "Everything was going fine, Holly got in a cab with Marvin and they were heading off to the dance club, and all of a sudden, the transmition got cut and since then, all we've received is just static."

"How long ago since the feed got cut?" Juliet asked; believing she could solve their problems.

"My guess is about an hour ago," Foaly announced as he stared at his computer. Then, he turned around. "It just doesn't add up. Why would Holly cut the iris cam feed? It's like the least unprofessional thing to do."

"Well maybe Holly didn't cut the Iris cam feed and instead it was someone else." Juliet accused.

"If not her, who?" Foaly pointed out. "If she were to have been attacked by some unknown force, her heart rate would've immediately increased after the attack due to adrenaline."

"Is it possible that the club had, like, some fairy Iris scanner at the front to check for undercover officers, so Holly had to remove it?" Juliet inquired.

"Impossible." Foaly exclaimed as he moved about the cabin from computer to computer, checking every signal monitor due to his inability to give his complete trust to his friends that they won't fuck up for even a moment. "From what we could make out before the Iris cam line went flat, apparently Holly is heading towards a human dance club. The only type of security she might encounter would be some burley bouncer. Besides, my new iris cam is completely ahead of its time in fairy technology standards. It's a revolution, if, I may say so myself. It's completely un-detectable, and is greatest thing known t-"

"Ah, shut up Foaly!" Mulch exclaimed in a fashion suitable for a New Yorker.

Foaly lost his shit. The Centaur slammed his human fist on the table. He turned around and gave Mulch the fiercest look that anyone had ever seen. His hair stood on in like some cheap cartoony version of Albert Einstein. He seemed to be pouring sweat. And on top of that, when he screamed, he might has well been in a Shakespearian-like play.

"FUCK YOU MULCH!" Foaly shouted. "YOU HAVN'T DONE JACK SHIT SINCE WE STARTED THIS MISSION. WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO COMPLAIN?"

Mulch was taken off guard. He seemed almost amazed that Foaly, a mere centaur had the ability to produce such anger. He backed off just a bit, holding out his hands in a apologetic way, wanting Foaly to stop. "Chill out," Mulch exasperated. "I was just kidding. I'm sorry man."

Foaly closed his eyes and breathed slowly. He tried to find some Zen like state so he could make peace with Mulch. Eventually, even though he wasn't fully calmed down, he did make peace. "No, I'm sorry." Foaly apologized. "I'm the one who freaked out and went over the line. It's just, I'm sick of this damn mission. I'm sick of these damn computers." Suddenly, Foaly almost toppled over. He looked around angrily trying to find the suspect. He notice, his saboteur, was a small orange chord that seemed to just be randomly linked to something. He picked it up, and shouted, "AND I'M SICK OF THESE DAMN CHORDS!" He pulled on it to symbolize his anger. Amazingly, the chord snapped.

Almost immediately, much to everyone's surprise, the Iris Cam feed came back on as well.

Foaly was dumbfounded. He stared at the screen with a slack jaw. Not because of the events transpiring on the screen above him, mainly, because in his head, he was replaying these thoughts in a sardonic tone. 'Really? That's all it took? Some damn chord breaking was all we needed? Really?'

Artemis was staring at the screen, but for a whole other reason entirely. A Giant blown up image of Marvin's face filled the screen. Behind him, random strobe and colored lights flickered on and off. Then, the audio came on. The bass line was so powerful it was enough to kill someone. On top of that, the random sound of guest speaking and chatting in the club gave off the atmosphere in the speed boat that they were literally at the club at this moment.

But what made Artemis skin crawl, what made his blood turn cold was what Holly said and how she replied when Marvin asked her in the club, "do you have a boyfriend?" She laughed with rambunctiously, as if she were impressed by Marvin's attitude. A hiccup appeared, making Artemis's night mare become a reality. He automatically knew that she was drunk. And he could spot that tone of voice from miles around and pick out the emotion exactly correct. It was lust.

And then she said it.

"He's a fag. Fuck him." Holly playfully laughed and giggled like a naughty school girl.

Artemis flipped his lid.

"FUCK! SHIT!" Artemis screamed as he practically ran out of the boat and into the water. "HOLLY'S DRUNK, AND HORNY, AND DOESN'T KNOW WHAT SHE'S DOING! WE NEED TO GET TO THE CLUB NOW!"

* * *

**Back in the manor**

Some days, Apollo didn't know whether he was a Christian, or an agnostic. On one hand, he was a firm believer in Christ. He thought that Jesus was a good man who did wonderful things and preformed miracles. He believed that Jesus died and was resurrected, and knew that if it wasn't so, his faith which he had been pursuing would be a lie. And he attended church every chance he got. On the other hand, he did have doubts. He wondered if some of the stuff that claimed to have happened to and from Jesus was logical. He barley acted like a good Christian boy when he was around friends. And most the time he attended church, it was only because his best friend Todd was a better Christian than he was and invited Apollo to Church every chance he got.

But all doubts, beliefs, and standards set aside, Apollo really dug the idea of a Christian apocalypse. Think about that for a second my fellow readers imagine how insane that would be. One day, out of nowhere, a trumpet would sound off and all the Christians of the earth would be swept away from the earth, while those left behind would be subjected to hallucinogenic hell for nine years. Pretty crazy right?

But Apollo had no clue that the trumpet which brought about the rapture, would sound very similar to an air horn.

Melinda squeezed down the air-horn tightly. The sound was almost deafening. Along with that, Melinda screamed sarcastically, and good humor, "GOOD MORNING!" To her new boss, Apollo. (what better way to greet your boss on the first day of work.)

Apollo woke up immediately. He sprang out of bed…and was greeted with the bottom of a small table to the face, which was held securely on top of Apollo by Grub, who responded after Apollo bonked his head, with "Rise and Shine!"Nothing could hide the smile that Grub gave off.

Apollo then pushed back on the bottom of the mini-table with such force that Grub was knocked off and bounced on the floor. Apollo made his way out from under the cover and ran through the door in his room, which cued Trouble for his part of the prank. Trouble was holding on to a bungee cable that Melinda had given to him, and told him to, "put both the ends on a column and the wall, stand in front of it, pull back, and launch yourself at Apollo." Trouble could achieve this command due to the fact that he stood on Apollo's skateboard. Once Apollo walked out of his room in a dazed and confused state, Trouble let go of the ropes, and went flying towards the red-head teenager. It seemed as if Trouble was moving at the speed of light. When he collided with Apollo's form, the teenager thought that he was being attacked by some mutated Rhinoceros on crack. The kid flew about 2 yards to the left and landed on the floor with a traumatic thud. Trouble did so as well, but unlike Apollo, when he landed, he was laughing his ass off.

Now, even though Apollo was not a morning person in any conceivable imagination at all, in normal circumstances, Apollo would've laughed along as well. For he, was a teenager, and, like most teenagers, he could spot a perfectly executed, perfectly planned, all around great prank at any time. He would have to give credit, and bow down in glory at the amazing prank preformed upon him.

However, this wasn't a usual circumstance. Apollo had basically went through hell and back again in the time frame of one night; 12 hours of blood, sweat, and some tears. He was in _no _mood to be woken up, let only woken up in the manner that he had received. So, promptly getting to his feet from the floor, Apollo shouted in hysterical anger at Trouble and Grub, "FUCK YOU!" and then stomped away from the gang bitterly, as he tried to find some solitude.

Trouble and Grub were laughing hysterically, to the point that they both were rolling on the floor. Melinda, however, knew better. And even though she was laughing as well, she knew damn good and well that when a teenager like herself, used that tone of voice that Apollo had just used, they were offended not just on emotional grounds, but moral grounds as well. Something had changed in Apollo. This was not the same geeky dweeb that.

"Oh dear," Melinda laughed. "I think we made him cry."

"Yeah," Grub cackled as he clutched his stomach. The laughing at this point was becoming painful. "That was sheer brilliance."

"You better go talk to him." Trouble stated as he wiped away the tear of laughter from his eyes. "I believe he'll only speak to you."

"Yes, I believe I shall." Melinda announced with a mocking degree of intellect as she swayed down the halls. She knew what Trouble said was true. Apollo would probably only listen to her. She wasn't fooled. She knew that Apollo had a major crush on her. It was self evident when he got off the plane and into Dublin. He looked at her with this surprised aura, thinking that she was cute. And in all honesty, she thought Apollo was pretty cute as well.

* * *

**Wow! Another long chapter. And in fact, it was suppose to be even longer than what it has ended up actually being. So, I'll just split what I have for this chapter in half and give you the first part, and the newest chapter will be the second part. Hope you enjoy. I'll be gone this weekend. Why's that? I'm going to see HEART and DEF LEPPARD live at the Iowa state fair. I believe it's going to be awesome.**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**Next time in Apollo: we have a special surprise guest. Who is it? I'll give you a hint. He likes the word 'simpleton.'**


	16. Fear and loathing in dublin

**Hello everybody. I have finally returned to writing. It took me a while. My birthday party was coming up and I had a lot on my plate. Specifically, I was dealing with getting the food and having band practice. My band had our longest gig to date. We did amazing. If you want to see the footage, like us on Facebook. We're called 'Touch of Red.' I hope you dig it. I'm the drummer! **

**I was hoping to have this finished and uploaded before my party. Unfortunately s**t got in the way. Oh well, I tried. Anyways, this was originally going to be part of the last chapter, but due to incredible length, I had to snap it off and form it into another chapter. So, without further ado, here it is.**

**Song: "Closer." By: Nine Inch Nails. **

"_Since I have been married to Erin, I've learned. You don't have to bungee off every bridge. You don't have to work on every car that's top of the line. You don't have to be the first man to jump so and so many busses. And you don't have to be one of those mall boyfriends.__You know the ones. "Hey, you looking at my girlfriend?" *acts cocky and intimidating*_

_Christopher Titus_

**Back in Paris, just as soon as the iris cam went out in the last chapter.**

Holly's initial reaction as she walked towards the door of the club was that of complete and utter shock. She was astonished by the sheer size of the place. It was big. No, wait a minute, not just big, _huge. _It was gigantic. Even though she grew from a normal fairy height of 3'3 to a sudden 5'3 when she partnered with Fowl, Holly still felt small as she walked towards the door, passing by the red rope that was not yet occupied with a line. The only thing bigger than the night club, was possibly the bouncer who waited at the front of the door.

The bouncer went by the name of Bobo. Bobo had been a good friend of Marvin's since the fairy in disguise moved to Paris to work with Koboi. The guard was completely oblivious to the fact that Marvin was a mythical creature, due to a mixture of clever disguise and heavy amounts of Mesmer. The only thing he knew was that Marvin was cocky, which he disliked. However, Marvin had grace as well, but mostly cash. And _that_ Bobo could accept. Even though Marvin sometime had this attitude that almost played him off as an arrogant rich-folk type, he also was very generous with spending his money, and seemed toalmost give it away with glee. So Bobo kept his mouth shut and relaxed any time Marvin came to the club.

Bobo's past was a short and simple one. Bobo was born in 1975 in Paris France under the full legal name as Robert 'Goliath' Leblue. His father was the typical run of the mill yuppie workaholic, whose personality was compatible to that of Christian Bale's performance in American Psycho. His mother was a stay at home mom who tragically died of cancer when Bobo was twelve. When Bobo turned 40, he needed a job and he needed it fast. Marvin saw an opportunity to use a human under the Mesmer as a perfect body guard and the rest was history.

When Holly came up to the red rope that separated her and Marvin from the club, Bobo gave off an intense look of suspicion and anger. However, once Marvin addressed that Holly was a friend while using a small amount of Mesmer, all the elf in disguise had to do was place a hundred Euros in his front jacket pocket, and it got the bodyguard to smile ear to ear. Bobo casually moved aside and allowed Holly and Marvin to enter the club. Once they did, Bob resumed his crossed arm, stern look, uptight position at the front of the door, as he prepared to defend the club to anyone who might harm it.

As Holly and Marvin swayed their way into this dark and enchanting club, Holly thought to herself 'damn. Do these mud-men need a room or what?' The club was rocking. Loud and powerful bass beats provided the composition of the events that were about to transpire. And on the lit up, multicolored dance floor, thousands of mud men were flaying their bodies about in the most sexual manner possible. Some wore glow sticks and many of them were crazy high on ecstasy. The smell of sweat, testosterone, and estrogen mixed together began emitting itself from all 4 corners of the club. Holly was completely captivated and bewildered by this. Fairy and Elvin night clubs didn't even compare or match up to that of the atmosphere that the human night club provided. It made Holly's head spin. She was dizzy.

Meanwhile, Marvin continued to move forward and drag Holly behind him in the process. They walked to the very far south end of the room. The table which Marvin was beginning to access had little to no lighting. The only way that Marvin could even see his hand out in front of him, was due to the insane strobe lights bouncing and irradiating itself off every corner of this club. Holly carefully sat down right next to Marvin in the booth.

They were greeted with a high feminine voice, shouting due to the loud music drowning out the conversation. "Hey Marvin. What's cracking?"

Holly's attention was immediately caught when she recognized that the girl was speaking gnomish. She squinted as she tried to analyze the figures in the booth with her. The strobe light gave her small glimpses, but due to her training in the LEP, she was able to identify their figure and describe them with ease. There was a small blonde headed girl; possibly the one who spoke. She was the closes to Marvin. Right next to her, was another girl. She was somewhat taller and had brown hair. The last person at the table was maybe the youngest one. He was almost a teenager by definition. He also had green spiky hair. But what made all these people interesting was the fact that all of them were fairies in disguise. Even though they were the same size as humans, Holly could spot a false ear a mile away.

Marvin greeted the chick with a head nod. Afterwards, He introduced them to Holly in the most polite manner possible. Some wouldn't even believe he was in works with Koboi. He seemed so nice. "Now Marlene,"

(Holly blushed at this in embarrassment. She really couldn't think of a better fake name at the time when he asked in the car.)

"These fine people are part of my exclusive group." Marvin exclaimed with a smile. He leaned over pat the blonde girl's shoulder. "This beautiful woman right here is Cassidy." Marvin stated, to which Cassidy replied towards Holly with a smile and a hello. Then Marvin pointed to the brown haired girl. "This girl is Sharon." Marvin proclaimed, to which Holly held out her hand and greeted the woman with a handshake. And finally at the far end of the table, "And this little freak right here is Sid." Marvin said.

Sid just lifted up his hand and proclaimed "Yo," with an unbiased yet somewhat uninspiring attitude. Holly smiled and greeted Sid with the same lackluster hand wave. She wasn't trying to be mean, and she wasn't so tired that she couldn't perform a proper handshake. It's just something about this whole situation just didn't feel right. She was uncomfortable in all these surroundings. She was….well….an adult now. Adults don't go out to night clubs. Adults don't go to parties and carelessly dance and wreck the night away. Adults should be staying at home, reading books to their children if they had any, and relaxing if at all possible. Yet here she was. Although it was for a good cause, and As soon as Holly got some information about Opal's whereabouts in the Sahara, she could relax a little.

Immediately after greeting Sid, Marvin stared into Holly's eyes, and spoke to her directly and carefully. Due to the loud music, he had to shout. But before he did that, he looked at Sid and nodded his head in a strange way, as if to communicate something. Sid immediately picked up on the gesture and reached under the table as Marvin began speaking to Holly.

"I need to explain something to you." Marvin shouted. "I took you to this night club not only to ditch that atrocious dump that these mud men call a bakery, not only to express some real fun, but I also want to show you my project that I've been working on. You seem like a nice girl." Marvin's eyes were now screaming for conviction. "Can I trust you?"

Without even a moments worth of hesitation, Holly shouted with a smile and a demeanor only suited for a party girl, "Sure." Marvin received the smile and replied with one of his own. _He bought the lie, _Holly thought mischievously to herself. _Hook line and sinker. _

Sid tossed up what appeared to be a suitcase towards Marvin along the table. Marvin reached for the suitcase, and then nonchalantly gave details to Holly. "About a year ago, I was in talks with this crazy chick who wanted to rule the world or some shit like that. Now, most people when they hear someone uttering the phrase 'I want to rule the world,' they'd probably send that someone to an insane asylum. However, this chick had the guts, the funds, and the brain power to make something like that so. Her name's Koboi. Heard of her?"

"Who hasn't?" Holly answered back. Marvin grinned at this comment.

"So she starts building this giant factory, or power plant, or some shit I don't know out in the middle of the Sahara desert. She contacts me and says she was in need of my assistance. She wanted me to supply weapons. I've been in the manufacturing business for a few decades now and every time The LEP needs a shit-ton of weapons, my delivery trucks bring the products to the back entrance of the police office. Opal offered me cash, and she promised me protection, so I decided, why the hell not. I gave her two of my trucks and we've been supplying the compound with weapons ever since."

Marvin then opened the case and pulled out a dark velvet bag. It was really small. It almost reminded Holly of a beggar's bag of money. "In addition to the protection and cash," Marvin continued, "Koboi insisted that she would help me with my side project." Then, out of the bag, Marvin poured out what appeared to be a white powder. Holly was never naive when it came to drugs, and she suddenly realized that she was in the wrong place.

"For years, we fairies have not been allowed to enjoy the pleasures of the flesh such as drugs and alcohol." Marvin proclaimed as he started to pile the powder into a line. "For years, we feared the harm that alcohol could cause to our magic. But now, our worries are over." Marvin then gestured his hands to the cocaine. "Behold the product of my creation!" and with that, Marvin snorted the line. Afterwards, he lifted his head in triumph and began shaking. He was now suddenly in the midst of his high, as the effects of the drug begun to take hold. He handed Holly a rolled up dollar bill. Her eyes were wide with panic. She needed to back out of this, _now. _But what could she do? If she resisted she feared that her cover might be blown.

Suddenly, Marvin Looked towards Holly who was in deep thought. He assumed that she might have been a virgin drug user, instead of an undercover cop.

"Don't sweat it." Marvin described as he leaned in towards Holly, causing her to get a good view of his powdered nose. "It's my design. It's been chemically alerted to where it's non-addictive and non-lethal to our magic. It's simply just perfect. Now, we can enjoy getting high without having to sacrifice our magic. It's amazing!"

Holly studied the faces staring back at her around the booth in the nightclub. The band of misfits stared back her like lost orphans analyzing an adult who had just walked into an orphanage. They all held wide eyes and perplexed faces for a long time, wondering if Holly would break their hearts.

_Peer pressure sucks! _Holly's mind screamed in defeat, as she leaned down and snorted her line.

* * *

**Present chapter time. In Dublin.**

The Boy snorted his line of cocaine across his knuckles in a recklessly and disorderly manner, (as if there was any other way to do so). Most of the powder in fact spilled off the back of his hand and landed on the floorboard of the muscle car that he and his brother rented with their older brother's money. But he didn't care. It got him high just the same. He responded with a triumphant howl like a wolf.

The brother driving the vehicle was acting like a complete mad man. His head was filled with LSD along with bong residue and on a strange side note, chocolate. He was driving in the most demonic manner possible. Howling, shaking, and screaming at the top of their lungs, Myles and Beckett took off across Dublin like a bat out of hell.

The twins didn't remember much about the trip, nor will they remember for the rest of their lives. The only thing that would aid their poor memories would have to be the frantic writings that they each jotted down in their notebooks. They only remembered two things so far. First off, the main reason why they were even on this trip, this fantastic voyage of Dublin on acid, was to due to the fact that Myles had finally landed a job with Rolling Stone. Writing had always been a passion for Myles, and journalism seemed like a dream job. So once he graduated the prep school, Myles took off to America and entered a college in New Jersey for journalism.

Beckett, however, decided to pursue a more honorable route; a route that would make any parent proud; especially the Fowls. Beckett decided to become a lawyer. He found that the law was extremely fascinating, and since he came from a family that used to be a large crime syndicate, it seemed very logical. Plus, the law school would be right next to the college that Myles would be studying at for his doctor's degree in journalism. So the boys decided to rent a house together, split the rent, and call it even.

Their lives in America were pretty laid back. Rarely did they ever leave America. The only exception was when their older brother Artemis had his child. They were bright kids. The only drug that they ever took was the occasionally joint, and they NEVER DRANK. But all that changed when Myles got an offer from Rolling Stone.

The Job assignment; do a Q&A with "Slipknot" while they were on their European tour. When the news reached their ears, this excited them to the point of almost having a seizure of happiness. They had been tremendous fans of the heavy metal band since they listened to "Iowa." Their minds were made up. The boys decided to pack their bags and head out for the most ultimate road trip of all time since National Lampoon. There were no limits. They did everything to excess. If an autopsy were to be performed on them right now, the surgeon would have to step back and proclaim "My god! They're like a walking chemical laboratory!" This trip allowed them to immerse themselves in reckless behavior; to enter the madness for a brief momentary lapse of their lives. In the end, this trip would only be a little flicker on their radar, but a damn good one at that. Plus, on a coincidental side note, this allowed them to finally see their older brother since Apollo was born. That was their current destination; the Fowl Manor.

The second thing they remembered; they were somewhere in the middle of their flight across the Atlantic when the drugs began to take hold.

Beckett was just about to throw the canister of cocaine in the back of their convertible muscle car, when a small gust of wind, along with poor timing and trajectory, caused the canister to be knocked out of his grasp and out of the car. All the cocaine had been wasted. This caused Beckett to scream in anger, which caused Myles to scream in surprise, which caused the car to swerve all over the road. Luckily, Myles regained control of the steering wheel, and the boys were back on track.

"JESUS!" Beckett screamed at the top of his lungs, as he analyzed the powder that had placed itself along his attire. Looking at Myles, he screamed, "DID YOU SEE WHAT GOD JUST DID TO US MAN!"

"God didn't do that. you did." Myles supplied as he kept his eyes focused on the road. While his brain was momentarily fried due to the drugs, his mind was working on overdrive, using paranoia as fuel. In this behavioral process, Myles came to a stunning, yet false conclusion. Looking at his brother with the widest eyes possible, he proclaimed, "GOD DAMMIT! YOU'RE A FUCKING NARCOTICS AGENT! I KNEW IT!" and with that he proceeded to slap the shit out of his own twin with a flyswatter that seemed to appear out of nowhere. As he did so, he progressed to call his brother many names, such as 'pig,' or 'swine' or even 'filth bag hoe.' He didn't fully mean it at the time; it was just the way his mind worked when it was high.

But all that stopped when Beckett pulled out the 44 magnum and stuck it to his brother's face. It wasn't loaded (thank god for that). It was just a little intimidation device that the lawyer twin had conjured up before the trip in case one of them got out of line. No bullets meant no harm. Gun equaled the threat of harm, thus the situation, if ever they were caught in one, would end abruptly.

"You better watch it, brother." Beckett proclaimed, pointing the gun at Myles's face. Myles responded by quirking his brows. He was not frightened in the least.

Beckett then placed the gun to his side and pointed it away. Then he turned his head to study the coastline of the Ireland. The sun was either beginning to rise or set, but either way, the sight was breathtakingly beautiful. "There are plenty of vultures out here in Dublin mate." Beckett commented. "They'll pick your bones clean before morning."

"You're a fucking liar." Myles grumbled.

Beckett replied with a cackle, as he reached into the backseat and pulled out the suitcase filled with multiple narcotics; all illegal. "You're right. I am lying! But don't be belittled about it. I do it all the time. I'm a lawyer damn it! Comes with the job." From the suitcase, Beckett pulled out a small packet of LSD. "Accept this as my token of apology; a little shot of the moonshine acid!"

"I think I will," Myles replied with a smile. Completely overjoyed, Myles snatched the packet out of his fingertips and immediately placed it on his tongue. He clicked his jaw three times, before asking, "How long do I have?"

"As your attorney, best friend, and twin brother," Beckett began as he scrimmaged himself around the car to find an adequate place to set the drugs, "I advise that you continue driving at a top speed of 120 before you fly off the handle like a fucking maniac." Beckett laughed at this comment; high out of his mind. Myles groaned in annoyance. It was only natural for siblings to dislike one another, especially ones like Myles and Beckett. "Afterwards, we'll try to meet our brother and greet our nephew while having a head filled with acid. Think you can handle it?" Beckett stated smugly. "I sure as hell hope so."

Myles was just about to retort, when all of a sudden, he heard a loud vicious, nightmarish scream. The scream then transformed itself into a demonic growl. Myles scanned the sky energetically as his mind began to pump paranoia all throughout his veins. Suddenly, the blue sky turned black as it was filled with what looked like huge bats; all swooping, and screeching, and flying around the car. And a voice began shouting _'holy jesus, what are these god damn animals!'_

"You say something?" Beckett asked his brother curiously.

A drop of sweat began to fall down his left cheek. Hairs were beginning to stand on end. 'Jesus,' Myles thought fearfully. 'Did I just say that out loud, or was I thinking it? Was I talking? Had I been talking?...did they hear me?'

Myles then decided to admit defeat. There was no way he could drive the car under the circumstances. With a gruff, he told his brother casually, "Never mind, it's your turn to drive." Myles then began to slow down. The transition from 120 MPH to a complete stop was a long one, even though Myles slammed on the breaks. However, once the car came to a complete stop, Myles exited the vehicle as fast as possible. He made it to the passenger's side and opened the door.

* * *

**Back in Paris, France. Present time. **

Artemis Fowl opened the door to the bar. His silhouette was disheveled and messy. His hair seemed to stand on end. Sweat began to pool under his armpits, completely ruining his suit. He was gasping for air franticly like a fish out of water. What was to blame for Arty's current state?

Love.

When the Iris cam came back on for the brief few seconds for Fowl to see what Holly was up to, his overprotective male sensibilities kicked into overdrive. He didn't mean to freak out; it was just a normal reaction. Was he making something out of nothing? Possibly not. His wife was the inner fiber being of his soul, and now she was about to sleep with another man. That's defiantly something. In hindsight, however, Artemis could've done well without having to run about 3 and a half miles towards the club while almost getting hit by a car and having his backup team have to knock out the body guard.

Once Artemis had stood in place inside the club, he was greeted with a multitude of colorful flashing lights, smoke, and glow sticks. After his mind was done trying to reel in all the images that were set out before him, he began to scan the room furiously. Meanwhile, Mulch and Julius came into the club behind him dragging in Bobo. Once inside, they dropped the gigantic bouncer with a tremendous thud.

"My Gods," Mulch complained as he began to pop his spine back into place, "What does this guy bench press? Buicks?"

"I think you're referring to what he eats." Julius interjected.

Suddenly, Fowl gasped in surprise as his eyes landed on the table in the far corner of the room. Due to its dark lighting and placement inside the club, it would've been so easy to have lost track of the table. However, his eyes were will trained in the art of probing. He was shocked with what he saw. His wife seemed to have the demeanor of some campus slut. She cackled in the naughtiest of ways. 5 empty beer jugs were strewn about the table directly in front of her. And as Artemis's trained eye began to examine her more, he noticed something odd about her nose. To his utter horror, he noticed that Holly had snorted cocaine.

His eyes gained target lock on Marvin, who was sitting right next to Arty's beloved wife. Rage shook all over his body. He wanted to kill. Marvin, that bastard, had gotten his wife drunk and high. Her powers were probably lost for good. What had happened to her? Why was she acting like this? Will she still love me? These certain question, and even more depressing ones began to cloud inside his brain. And there was only one person to blame for making all these drastic questions arise. Marvin.

Artemis began marching forward. He didn't really have a plan at the time, (which was rather odd for a Fowl to do; act on instinct). For the first time in his life, Arty realized that he was going to wing it. His rough draft of the idea…was to kill Marvin with his bare hands. Luckily Mulch caught on and before Artemis could take his forth step towards Marvin, he caught the genius's wrists, and the dwarf began to pull the angered mud man back to reality.

"Whoa there cowboy." Mulch proclaimed as he stared into the Mud man's eyes. "Now, I know that you want to play prince charming, knight in shining armor, but you can't just go in there and kick the living shit out of our only insight into Koboi's base. We have to have a plan."

The fiery intensity of anger that once was in Fowl's eyes, went away with a flash and instead was replaced by deep though. 'He's right,' Artemis realized. "I do need a plan. I cannot just thrust myself into battle.' And then his mind threw in, 'not without a weapon of course.' He stood from his crouched position, which he had to get into in order to speak with Mulch on the same level, and began to look around the club. During his second round of scanning his surroundings, Artemis didn't see anything that could aid him in the least.

Then his eyes fell upon the bar. The bar tender as cleaning a shot glass that had recently been filled with whisky. While it was a night club, his attire screamed '1940's butler.' Artemis smiled slyly. 'Why of course,' he thought. He walked over to the bar. Again, due to the loud music, he had to shout.

"Excuse me my good sir," Artemis proclaimed. "But can I have a shot of whisky?"

The bar tendered eyed him suspiciously for a moment. Then, he shrugged off his uncertainties and filled up a glass with the perfect amount of whiskey. He slid the drink down to Artemis, who immediately engulfed it. 'Liquid courage,' he mused to himself slightly. Then, he slammed the glass down and asked the bar keep, "May I have another?"

The Bar tendered replied, happily filling Arty's drink. Then he tossed the drink down the table.

* * *

**Back in Dublin. Fowl Manor.**

The drink slid along the table until it reached Grub's grasp, who reluctantly grabbed it. He studied the contents of the drink for a bit. He noted how it seemed so brown and repulsive. He looked back up at his brother. Trouble was wearing a devilish, mischievous grin. Grub looked back down at his drink with disgust. He had been a fool to accept his brothers dare. It started off so innocently. The boys were casually looking in Arty's fridge, wondering what the former child prodigy ate in his spare time. And now, it had escalated into a tremendous act of courage on Grub's behalf. In his grip, was possibly the most horrendous drink known to fairy kind. Peaches, Apples, soy sauce, salsa, orange juice, and milk had all been compacted into a blender and thrown together on high.

Grub looked back up at Trouble, begging for mercy. "The whole thing?" the younger brother asked with concern.

"The whole thing," Trouble replied with ill-behaved tones in his voice. "Drink it," he commanded with a grin.

Grub was now in a pickle. If he rejected the drink, he would be teased about it for years to come. If he accepted the drink, who knows how long his stomach would have to be pumped by a team of medical warlocks. In the end, his egotistical, male-macho bullshit overruled his common sense. Grub gulped down his last fears, and began to swallow the horrible beverage.

Meanwhile, Melinda Butler was gulping in fear herself, but for a completely different reason entirely. She waited outside the door which lead into the conference room; otherwise known as the television room. She was certain that Apollo was inside that room right now, trying to drown out his troubles with his IPod. Seriously, the kid really needed to learn to turn that thing down. Melinda could've heard it at least two miles away. Poor little Apollo. That teenager was going to lose his hearing by the end of his 23rd birthday if he still listened to his IPod like he was currently listening to it now.

Her nerves weren't necessarily ecstatic, but she wasn't calm either. She was thinking frantically about the situation at hand. She would never admit this, (unless Apollo admitted it first,) but she thought he was really cute. She was somewhat, strangely, attracted to him. However, she had no reason as to why she even thought he looked suave. He was nothing more than just an average teenager. Maybe it was because of the fact that he was a red head. All jokes aside, she thought that red hair was downright sexy.

Her problems lied with what she knew all ready, added to what she assumed. She knew, already, that Apollo was really cute. She also knew that he had a profound crush on her. She saw it in his eye when he got off the plane in Dublin. She also knew that she was _not _ready for another relationship. Not that she wouldn't mind one if Apollo offered it, it's just that she seemed to enjoy the single life, and after her last breakup, she felt that she needed some time before she got into another relationship. Christ. It had only been 2 weeks since she last had a relationship! She was just 18 and had only one relationship! When adding these facts, along with Melinda's assumption that Apollo was just a kiss to the cheek or an arm rub away from proclaiming his undying devotion to her, she was caught in a pickle.

She was certain about one thing though. If Apollo was going to ask her out, she would have a hard time saying no, but she had to let him off easy. Question is, how to? There was only one way to find out. Melinda swallowed her last amount of fear and slowly opened the door. She peaked inside; her head coming out of the corner just barely.

And then she laughed out loud.

Apparently the Fowls weren't lying when they told her and her mother that Apollo would get lost in his own little world from time to time when listening to music. She was amazed that his head hadn't snapped off his neck. Apollo was listening to some good old fashion _Slayer, _while head banging to the music violently. Some would be confused as to why, a mega fan of _Pink Floyd_ (easily one of the most calm and collective bands ever) would be thrashing viciously to hardcore metal. If one were a close friend of Apollo's they would've recognized that Apollo loved all forms of music, (with the exception of country or modern day pop). As long as it affected him on an emotional level, he would listen to it constantly.

_Slayer's _"disciple" was one of those songs. It basically supplied every signal reason as to why sometimes he doubted God. It also fueled his teenage rebellion. The lyrics were so evil, so wrong, that it felt just so right to sing them. Unfortunately, if Apollo had only taken the time to turn down his IPod, he would've realized that he was not singing the lyrics; instead, he was violently shouting them.

"Die for Peace with acts of war/ the beauty of death we all adore/ I have no faith distracting me/ I show you why your prayers will never be answered/ _God Hates us all!" _Apollo screamed along with the music.

After laughing, Melinda began to give off a warm smile. Although her favorite genre of music was the blues (ranging from BB King to Stevie Ray Vaughn) she had been, at one point in her life, an in closet metal head. _Slayer_ had been one of those bands that she constantly would be listening to as long as no one was around. Suddenly, a bright idea exploded within her mind. She knew this song that Apollo was singing. She also knew that she had exactly half a second before Tom Araya would start screaming again on the track. So, wasting no time at all, she ran up right beside Apollo's ear, with a smile on her face….

And screamed. _"God Hates us all!"_ she screeched.

If there ever was a time where Apollo could safely and accurately proclaimed that he was frightened so bad that he jumped out of his skin, it was now. Thinking that he would hit the ceiling, Melinda watched Apollo jump up in the air in a fashion more suitable in a cartoon. When he turned to look at Melinda, his expression was nothing more than priceless. It was a mixture of confusion, shock, and utter bewilderment that looked so amusing, that she had to laugh. Apollo immediately pulled out both of his ear plugs and shut off his IPod.

As he opened his mouth to speak, Melinda was expecting Apollo to say something along the lines as 'what the hell,' or even, 'where did you come from?' instead, she received a surprised, yet happy Apollo, proclaiming with much excitement, "You know who Slayer is?"

Melinda was not expecting that at all. But without missing a beat, Melinda replied back, "uh yeah. Duh. Who hasn't Suge?"

"Probably every girl in my school," Apollo replied with a smile and a demeanor that undoubtedly came from his father's genes. "I'm afraid to inform you that all female occupants in my school are infected with Beiber Fever."

"uggh. I hate that kid." Melinda replied nonchalantly.

Apollo replied with a tremendous "THANK YOU!" Melinda was taken aback by this sudden outburst, and reacted almost shocked. Apollo immediately lowered his volume. "Sorry," he began. "I'm just so surprised that there is actually a girl out there who isn't Gaga about Gaga."

"I'm more of a fan of _real _music myself suge." Melinda replied with that amazing southern drawl that sent shivers down Apollo's spine.

"Hmm, I'll be the judge of that." Apollo playfully teased. Melinda responded with a giggle. _A giggle? _Melinda scorned herself mentally. _Don't do that! Giggling is a sign of weakness. _

"Who's your favorite artist?" Apollo asked immediately.

"Stevie Ray Vaughn." Melinda replied happily.

"ding, ding, ding!" Apollo jokingly announced with much enthusiasm. "We have a winner." Melinda replied with not just a giggle, but instead, with a full hearty laugh. Apollo cocked a brow. He was extremely confused, not just because he made a girl actually laugh, but because he made a girl laugh by just acting as….._himself! _"What's so funny?" Apollo asked with some mild concern.

"Nothing," Melinda answered as she covered he lips with her fingers, trying to hide that smile. "It's just, you're so much like your parents. You've Got that amazing amount of emotional range just like your mother, yet when you were talking about the girls in your class, you sounded _exactly _like your dad."

"uggh. Kill me now. My worst nightmare has finally come to past." Apollo groaned.

The two teenagers both chuckled with a strange tacky sensibility to it. Suddenly, a strange moment occurred between the two as they locked eyes. Time seemed to slow down; and while both felt like they needed to talk to add more to the conversation, neither of them did. They were strangely comfortable with the silence. It seemed to last for ages.

Suddenly, Apollo nervously began to speak. "Yeah…..so….I need to talk to you about something." Apollo said as he avoided her gazed and rubbed the back of his neck.

_Oh god, here it comes. _Melinda thought fearfully.

"I just wanted to say that….I'm….extremely sorry for how I reacted to your prank today." Apollo proclaimed. "I'm not usually like that. It's just, I'm not a morning person, I've been through a lot, and I wasn't in the cheeriest of moods. But no one deserves to be talked to like I talked to you this morning. And so, I just wanted to say. I'm sorry."

"Oh," Melinda replied after a few long seconds of silence. Her mind had to readjust to the situation which she had just received. "Don't sweat it. I wasn't expecting anything less this morning. But that's okay. You're forgiven."

"Whew. Thanks." Apollo stated as he jokingly wiped away sweat from his forehead.

Melinda was confused. She was satisfied with the fact that she didn't have to talk to Apollo about a relationship. But at the same time she was somewhat….disappointed. It was all very confusing for her. Eventually, her curiosity lead to the downfall, and she asked with interest, "um….is that all you wanted to talk to me about?"

Apollo was extremely relieved for a few brief seconds as he finally received the go ahead for a simple chat. Problem was, the content to which he wanted to talk about had some horrible side effects if things went askew. "Does it really need to be said?" Apollo asked. He sighed as he looked away, and began his speech. He stared into her eyes, hoping that she didn't ever misinterpret anything he was about to say.

"Melinda….I think you're incredibly, _incredibly _hot! Not to mention the fact that I just found out that we sort of have the same music taste. I've only known you for like two days….actually, when you add up the time we've actually spent together in person, it's about 15 minutes. And already, in just 15 minutes, I've noticed that you're very smart, kind, and you have been entitled with the gift of a prankful additude. I admire that…I admire you. I just….can't stop thinking about you. I want to get to know you better…..what better way to do that then to date. However, I also realize that this is fast, and that you'll probably say no. whatever you decision is…..I'm okay with it."

Melinda was surprised. She was totally blown away by how professional Apollo handled the situation. What's more, was that she was well trained in the art of descriptive observation of a personal's facial patterns and expressions. She was a Butler after all. She could tell if someone was talking out their ass, or being completely honest. Apollo was so honest and so truthful with her, she was amazed. Impressed even. In fact, she was willing to change her mind on her decision based on Apollo's attitude alone.

"Wow." Melinda exclaimed. "You…are very mature for someone who constantly head bangs to death metal." Apollo blushed. Melinda was confused about one thing though. "I have a question however…..from the way you just spoke, I understand that you'd prefer to be dating me than not dating me. Yet, at the same time, you also seem okay with the fact that if I'd say no, you'll just move on. I've never met a man like that. Usually most men would be on their knee's begging me t go out with them."

"Would you prefer if I did that right now miss," Apollo stated with a sly grin.

"No," Melinda immediately reacted. "Please don't. It's just…..I have to know….if I was to say no, how come you act like you won't be so heartbroken."

"The truth is," Apollo began. "When you've only been given rejection all throughout your life, you come to terms with the fact that life goes on. I'm a master of rejection. I've received it every day of my life."

_Damn it! _Melinda thought with a scowl. _He's using the sympathy card. And what's worst is the fact that he's actually telling the truth. _

"I'll tell you what. I'm not going to say 'no,' but I'm not going to say 'yes.' Give me some time, like a week or so, and we'll talk about it. In the mean time, while all this insane, crazy outside shit is happening, let's just remain friends. Is that okay with you?" Melinda said.

"I couldn't ask for anything more." Apollo replied with a smile. Melinda smiled as well. Things were pretty much great. And Apollo had found himself to be the happiest he had ever been before in his life.

Then, all of a sudden…..

GAHHHH!

A loud, disrupt-full, ghastly noise exploded from downstairs. The noise was so abrupt that it caused both teens to jump in shock. The noise itself was pretty much, quite common. It had a universal language that everyone could relate to, no matter how disgusting the actual noise was. It was none other than, the sound of someone vomiting.

Melinda shook her head with a smile in disappointment. When she headed back upstairs to speak with Apollo, she knew that the Kelp brothers were going to end up in trouble. She sighed, and turned to the teenage boy that stood right next to her. With a playful grin, she proclaimed, "C'mon, suge. Let's see what the boys got themselves into now."

Apollo and Melinda began walking together as they headed downstairs. As they did so, another strange sound began to hit their eardrums. It was low and grave, like the sound of a revving engine. It was faint and seemed far away. However, as they continued to walk do the spiral staircase, the sound seemed to be getting louder, and louder, and louder.

Once the boy and girl reached the bottom of the stairs, and saw the kitchen, Melinda screamed.

"AHH!" she announced as she took off after the two fairies. _"No No No!"_

Trouble, was currently laughing and pointing at his brother, Grub, who was sticking his head into the sink, and was puking up something so fowl that it would haunt anyone. Melinda was completely ballistic as she took off running. This caught Trouble's attention as he watched this lady run beside Grub and check the sink. Her face paled, and then she groaned.

"ahhh, damn it!" Melinda complained as she palmed her face. The strange rumbling noise outside was getting louder. Suddenly, she turned her head towards Trouble, and like a cobra, she stuck. _"what did you do?"_

"In my opinion, I gave him one pretty fierce cocktail."

Grub replied with another grenade burst of vomit into the sink. Melinda seemed distraught. "What seems to be the trouble?" Apollo asked concerned.

"Are you kidding me?" Melinda asked sardonically. _"He's Vommitting!"_ she screamed. In the back of her mind she noted that the rumbling noise was now getting even louder.

"And?" Trouble supplied.

As Melinda spoke, the rumbling nose got incrementally louder, to the point that in the middle of her sentence, Grub looked up and out the window to investigate what the cause of the noise was. "Listen, this is the first time that I've been alone in this house and took great care of it for Artemis and Holly. If I do well, I might get more privileges. I'm not trying to be a teacher's pet, I'm just saying that if I do-okay! What the hell is all the damn ruckus outside!"

"Guys," Grub weakly exclaimed as he looked out the window. "You might want to check this out."

The gang crowded around Grub…and gasped. Outside, from out of nowhere, a large red sports/muscle car was doing much damage to the Fowl property. The drivers were doing many things, such as dough-nuts, burn outs, and drifting. All of these crucial acts took place on the front lawn. Grass and mud was being tossed up into the air like a beach ball at a rock concert. It made Melinda angry. Melinda didn't know who was behind the wheel, but as far as she was concerned, they weren't going to see the light of day.

Apollo on the other hand…."Wow! Cool!" he exclaimed like any teenage boy would.

Suddenly, the sports vehicle made a strong left turn, spinning out as it did so. Then, in a flash, it was out of the gang's peripheral vision.

"Who are they and what are they doing?" Melina exclaimed.

"I have no idea," Trouble replied. "But if I didn't know any better, I'd say they're going to run through the front door."

And the drivers did just that, with a tremendous CRASH!

* * *

**Back in Paris**

Artemis sipped his drink in a slow, yet cross manner. He patiently waited, although with anger brewing in his heart. He sat down and listened to the conversation going on in the booth beside him. Due to the fact that Foaly, who was back in the speed boat, was able to transfer Arty's earpiece to pick up Holly's voice, she came out clear as day. And much to his dismay, her topic of conversation while drunk and high, turned out to be Arty himself.

Marvin held his stomach in laughter; he feared that he might actually bust a gut. "Wait, wait, wait," Marvin proclaimed high and drunk off his ass. "You mean to tell me, that you're boyfriend, actually using make up?"

"Yes!" Holly replied with a cackle that seemed endless. "He keeps telling me, 'it's not make up, it's a facial cream that moisturizes the skin and unclogs his pours.' And I'm like, 'baby that's defiantly make up. 'and worst of all, his Butler bought it in the woman's isle at the salon."

"What a fag!" Marvin announced without any reservation whatsoever.

"I know right?" Holly replied as she laughed hysterically.

Artemis was on the edge of completely losing his cool. His demeanor had been soft and patient due to his plan which was being put into action. The liquid courage that he had administered to himself earlier gave him a pretty bright idea. He knew that Marvin and his fellow gang of misfits seemed like the type of people who would never refused a drink. Their aura which they gave off symbolized to Artemis 'we know the dangers of accepting a drink from a total stranger, we just don't care.' So Artemis decided to put this theory into action, and asked the bartender earlier to give the group of people, a round of shots. Then, when the drink were poured, he asked the bartender to wait for a second, as he turned to Julius, and asked him for some sleeper darts. When the bartender wasn't looking, he had broken up the sleeper darts and poured in small amounts of the serum into 4 of the five drinks. With Holly being the exception, everyone at the booth was now drinking small amounts of a depressant that would get them sleepy immediately. Then, Artemis, Mulch, and Julius, took up the booth right next to Marvin's, and waited.

So far, Artemis was pretty much impressed with the results he had received. The two girls and Sid had decided to leave early, thinking they were gonna crash. And indeed they did, once they made it back to the confines of their abode. Three fairies were down, and there was only one left to go. Once Marvin had passed out, if he was going to pass out, Artemis would take him back to the speedboat, and the gang would receive their information the old fashion way; interrogation style.

There was only one slight hiccup to his plan. Marvin just wouldn't fall asleep. For some odd reason, Marvin would not pass out. It was truly bizarre. And to make matters worse, Once Marvin brought up the topic of the 'boyfriend' when Holly and he were out on the dance floor, Holly would not shut up about it. She was starting to spill some pretty revealing secretes about her boyfriend. Fortunately, she gave off a fake name, 'Aaron," and Marvin had accepted the fake name as fact. Unfortunately, for 'Aaron;' aka Artemis, Holly would not shut her trap.

Artemis was a patient guy, he truly was. Unlike his manners in his early youth, he had grown up to realize that the world doesn't necessarily revolve around you. However, with each unnecessary fact exposed in Holly and Marvin's conversation, Artemis's patience's was getting thinner, and thinner, and thinner.

It all came crashing down, when Holly exclaimed this.

"And to make matters worse, he plucks his eyebrows. I mean, what kind of man plucks his own eyebrows?"

_THAT DOES IT! _Artemis shouted in his brain as he furiously got up from the booth. Both Mulch and Julius immediately got up as well. They knew that a conflict was about to arise, they just didn't know when. Now that the threat of intimate violence was clearly coming up, Mulch and Julius ran beside Artemis, and stood a post incase anything bad was going to happen, and Arty would be in need of their assistance.

Artemis marched over to Marvin's booth, and stood right in front of them. Neither Holly nor Marvin noticed his presence. They were too busy laughing at what a wimp 'Aaron' was. However, as soon as Artemis shouted, 'HEY YOU!" in the most intense manner possible, both Holly and Marvin snapped their heads towards him.

Holly's jaw dropped in surprise.

A brief silence fell among Marvin and Artemis, as they stared down each other directly in the eyes. (Arty's gaze was much more intense than Marvin's). Finally, after a few good minutes of sheer tension, Marvin asked Arty, "Who the hell are you?"

Artemis responded quickly with. "I'm the guy that bought you the free drinks." then, without a single solitary smile, Artemis asked, "Would you like another?"

Marvin smiled. "Shit yeah."

Artemis replied by swiftly shooting out his hand faster than a speeding bullet, grabbing the back of Marvin's head by powerfully gripping his hair, and in no less than a millisecond, Artemis had slammed down Marvin's face into the shot glass that was under him. Bits of glass ended up in his eye. Shards of glass scared his face for all eternity. Marvin immediately passed out.

Artemis exclaimed to the lifeless body of Marvin, "Who's the faggot now asshole?"

* * *

**Back at the speedboat.**

Artemis had changed drastically. All it took was for one off handed comment from Holly to make Artemis change form upper class, sensible, egotistical yet charming genius, to barbaric vengeful mud-man. Artemis had actually, literally, carried the passed out and badly damaged body of Marvin over his shoulder all the way back to the speed boat. Blood had covered the back of his suit and face from where Marvin bled out. Holly was utterly stunned by this. She was also emotionally confused. Part of her was completely frightened by what Artemis had turned into.

Another part of her was supremely aroused.

While Holly stared down her husband's ass, Mulch explained to Juliet that amazing and incredible feat that Arty had displayed back at the club.

"You're shitting me," Juliet exclaimed.

"I'm not." Mulch sincerely announced. "Arty completely put the smack down on Marvin back in the club. It was like something out of a gangster flick."

"That's awesome!" Juliet shouted.

"I know right." Mulch proclaimed. "Is it true that he plucks his eyebrows?"

Juliet laughed. "Yep. He may be a man but Arty's more in touch with his feminine side that anyone I'd ever seen. Ain't that right Holly girl?"

Holly did not respond. She had heard Juliet's question entirely. But frankly, she didn't care. She was too caught up in analyzing this new and improved Artemis. Back at the nightclub, she saw a side of Artemis that she had never seen before. Bigger, manlier, fiercer; it was such a complete and drastic change, but it was all for the better. Holly was completely lustful about this new Artemis. She wanted him, _now._

"Holly, are you all right?" Juliet asked as she noticed her girlfriend was a little….off. "You're shivering."

Holly could no longer take it. She simply just snapped. Her lust, could no longer be contained.

She frantically marched up towards Artemis with so much concentration that Juliet almost had a heart attack. She grabbed Artemis, who at the moment, was securing Marvin to a seat with duct tape, turned around, and gave him possible, the fiercest and sexiest French kiss that anyone would receive in the universe….ever. She immediately began directing the stunned and amazed Artemis into the cabin of the boat, never once breaking the kiss. Her legs wrapped around his waist and squeezed him tightly. She somehow opened the door to their bed room behind them, and threw Arty's extremely aroused and surprised body down onto the bed.

With the most seductive and powerful voice possible, a drunk, coked-up, and completely out of her mind horny Holly screamed, "YOU. ME. BED. SEX. _NOW!"_

* * *

**It took me awhile to finish, but I finally did it. I was mainly distracted with band practice, school, my birthday, and my driver's test. BTW….I PASSED! I can legally drive now! Woot! Anyways, if you want to see me and the band in action, go to face book and like 'Touch of Red.' That's the band. Other than that, please REVIEW! Oh, and tell me your favorite part of this chapter. It took me a while so I'd like to know. **

**Other than that, there isn't much else to report. Again, I'm sorry for the long update. Birthdays usually take up time as you know. Oh, and on a cool side note, I uploaded the very first chapter of Apollo on September the 1****st****, which is my birthday, as well as Artemis Fowl's birthday. So happy late birthday to Artemis. And happy anniversary to Apollo. **

**God bless.**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	17. the calm before the storm

**I'M BAAAAAACK! Took me awhile. I apologize for the update. (I seem to be saying that more often don't I?) I had a lot going on in my life the last time I wrote the chapter. School was a bitch. Then I had school of rock to attend to. We played our Foo Fighters show to a sold out audience at AfterShocks bar & Grill. It was amazing. Now that the fall season is over, we begin the winter season at school of rock. And guess what our theme is….PINK FLOYD AND DARK SIDE OF THE MOON! I am **_**so pumped! **_

**Anyways, with all that going on, plus girlfriend issues, plus new video on YouTube (check it), plus the fact that I started a new story (drunk diaries, check it out as well), along with the fact that our school marching band had 4 parades, (2 every week), and add that with my horrible case of procrastination, I had a hard time getting to this. Not to mention the fact, (I know, I'm stalling and complaining), that my laptop was starting to bug me. I love typing on it, but I spend more time on this big dinosaur of a computer than I do on my Laptop. So I have officially shifted all writing activities over here.**

**So, without further ado, here it is. **

**Song : "God Only Knows," Artist: The Beach Boys.**

**Or, you can listen to "People Get Ready," by: The Impressions. Both are highly amazing and you should check them out…..RIGHT NOW! **

"_You never see a positive drug story on the news, do you? You'd think you would, because the news is supposed to be subjective. You know __**the **__news. But every single drug story is negative. And it's the same thing every time. 'young man on acid, thought he could fly, jumped off a building, what a tragedy.'…..wow. what a dick! It's not tragedy; he's just a fucking idiot. \ If he wanted to fly, why didn't he try to take off from the ground? You don't see ducks or pigeons lining up for elevators to fly south for the winter. He's dead, and he's an idiot. good. We lost a moron! Wow, I feel the world getting lighter. And I know I'm sounding cold cruel, and vindictive, but I am, so that's how it's gonna come out. How about a positive LSD story for a change? Wouldn't that be news worthy? I think so. 'today, a young man on acid realized that matter is merely energy condensed to a slow moving vibration, and that we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively. There's no such thing as death, life is only a dream, and we are the imagination of ourselves….here's tom with the weather!'" _

_Bill Hicks_

**Back in Dublin. **

He walked cautiously, quietly, and carefully towards the crash site. The fear in his heart was tremendous. Just a few minutes ago, he, Melinda, and the two strange elf bodyguards known as Grub and Trouble were having polite chit-chat; discussing the subject matter of the two idiot's in that were creating divots in the Fowl Manor front lawn by doing donuts. Now, it seems as though those idiots have driven their red sport mobile of mayhem into the manor. They had passed the stair well on the hallway to the left of it and had crashed at the end. Immediately, Melinda vowed to crush the skull of whoever decided to rear their ugly mugs into the manor and obliterate it. She called for a course of action, and the gang scampered along with her.

Out of all of them, including Grub, Apollo was probably the most worried. He was defiantly not like Melinda in these types of moments; where destruction and disaster were apparent. While Melinda was calm, collective, and on target with whatever her motive was, Apollo was filled with anxiety. They didn't have any clue who these mad men were, or why they had crashed into the manor or what they were capable of. They could've been ninja's, sent here by that evil Koboi chick herself that he heard so much about, to assassinate them all. Or worse, they could be…_relatives. Family members. _Shivers went down his spine at that thought.

But it didn't matter, because, like it or not, Melinda was going to find out who crashed into the manor because whoever did, They were going to pay; _dearly. _

Apollo, along with Grub, took up the rear of their pack, while Melinda took charge with Trouble walking along side her. They made careful steps, almost on their 'tippy toes', to avoid any sound. The biggest element in their favor was that of surprise. Besides, if these hooligans had survived their crash, (which everyone doubted, but it was possible), they might hear them speaking. They could probably pick out what they were saying and discover their purpose of being here before they even arrived within striking distance. Melinda smiled at that thought. She could get their motives and then _wham, _right in the kisser.

As they inched closer and closer, Apollo's heart began to beat faster and faster. This was stupid, _so stupid. _However, he would be a liar if he said he wasn't curious as well to find out who these maniacs were who decided to show up this lovely evening.

This is why his head perked up, along with everyone else's, when they audible heard the phrase, "uggh, my head," coming from the car, followed by a shadowy figure exiting the vehicle, holding a hand up to his eye.

Melinda automatically recognized the tone. She had met the several times when she traveled with her mother to visit the rest of the Fowl family. She couldn't believe that it was him. More importantly, she couldn't believe that he flown from America to visit. "Beckett!" she screamed with delight, yet terror, as she ran towards the car. "Oh my God! Is that you?"

Grub and Trouble broke into a sprint when they heard Melinda exclaim this. "Beckett? As in, one of Fowl's brothers?"

Apollo froze solid. It was a good thing he hadn't eaten yet, otherwise he would have defiantly soiled himself. _Oh god! _He thought horrifically. _It's the worse out of the three. It's family members! _"I have…uncles!" Apollo screamed as he watched his new friends scurry to the car.

"Yep," Melinda exclaimed as she finally made it to the end of the hallway where the car had crashed. (The vehicle was caught between the wall and the outside of the manor. It looked like some crazy form of stuffed animal; the back end of the tail gate exposed for all to be seen. The front, however…..). "And it looks like they decided to crash the party, as it were."

Beckett clutched his eye as he tried to walk away from the crash. It stung like hell. He was defiantly certain that he had gained retina damage. He may have suffered a concussion as well, for all he knew. "God, I messed myself up pretty bad." He moaned. Suddenly, his knees gave well and he fell to the now damaged tile floor. As He was kneeling down on the floor, as if he were praying, he looked up. "….dear god. Melinda, is that you?"

Melinda stared down at the brutal shell of the man who was on the floor. "The one and only, she said with a smile."

Beckett immediately sprang up from the floor, and clutched the female body guard in a friendly, brotherly, embrace. "Oh my God! Melinda!" he exclaimed. "It's so good to see you again!" He pulled back and ruffled her hair.. She was smiling, but he could tell that she was also mad. Her eyes still contained that spark that Juliet's had whenever she was angry at something. Casually, he looked around the room and assessed the damage, assuming that was Melinda's cause for alarm and anger. The doors were completely destroyed. The window where the car had made its fatal stop next to was shattered. The wall in which they crashed into; demolished (with a giant gaping hole to boot). And the carpets that the car had passed over once they made it inside…..just think the word, _shredded. _

Beckett turned his head back and smiled. "Don't worry, I'll pay for it." He stated.

"You better," Melinda grumbled. _My mom's gonna kill me if this place isn't cleaned up before her and Artemis get back, _she thought.

Grub and Trouble ran up to him, and finally stopped. They took some time to gather their breath. "Beckett!" Grub exclaimed as he tried to catch his breath.

"Is that….really…you?" Trouble supplied as he tried to catch his breath as well. Being behind a desk for a few years at the LEP had now taken its toll. He would need to hit the gym more often once things got back to normal.

"Hey, fairy boys!" Beckett exclaimed, teasing them slightly. He and his brother were now well aware of how active their older brother was with the underground dwellers. Seeing as how, after he married Holly, Artemis would no longer tell lies, the genius prodigy brought his brothers aside one day and told them of all his adventures. The first people Beckett and Myles met who were affiliated with Arty's secrete life, besides Holly, were Trouble and Grub. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, we was going to ask you the same question," Grub said as he finally caught his breath. "But, seeing as how you asked first…..we're here to assist Melinda in guarding Apollo while the Genius is away; it was captain's orders."

Beckett's eyes widen with joy. He smiled ever so greatly. "Jesus, Apollo's here!"

Melinda pointed down the hallway at strange looking shadow at the end of the hallway that was Apollo. When Beckett turned his head and looked down at the silhouette which was shaking with trepidation and fear, he exclaimed happily as he waved his hands, "Hey! Apollo! I'm your Uncle Beckett!"

Apollo's brain decided that it had enough excitement for one day, and told his conscious to shut down. He fell face first as his eyes rolled into the back of his head. His forehead collided with the floor with a great _SMACK!_ Melinda shrieked and ran towards him. Once she had arrived right next to the lifeless body of the passed out teenage boy, she checked his pulse and placed her hand right next to his nose. "He's unconscious, but he's breathing." She declared.

"Oh, thank god," Beckett exclaimed with a laugh as he smacked his knees. "For a second there, I thought I almost killed him."

Suddenly, he felt some strange feeling on the side of his head. It felt sort of good. It was like he was being healed. And that he was. For, when he turned his head, he saw that his Elvin friend, Trouble, had aided Beckett's earlier head wounds and was taking away his pain as the blue sparks flew out of the palm of his hand and began to spread along his head.

Beckett sighed greatly after the healing was completed. "Thanks buddy," he told Trouble.

"No problem whatsoever." Trouble replied. "Now, what brings your neck into the woods?"

"Now, I'm glad you asked that," Beckett replied with a sense of great self respect, as if he were a political candidate preparing himself to emit a speech. "Because I'm going to tell you some news that will rock your world."

"Really?" Melinda exclaimed as she finally made it back to the gang, minus Apollo. "Like what kind of news."

"Oh nothing much…..just_….My Brother has been assigned by Rolling Stone to interview Slipknot on their european tour!"_

"Oh my God," Melinda exclaimed with a cheerful attitude. She was really happy for Myles's success. Apart from Beckett, Myles had a great big soft spot in her heart as a brother figure. "That's awesome!"

"Who's Slipknot?" Grub asked a general question.

"Just the greatest heavy metal band in the world." Beckett exclaimed happily at the fairy. He took no offense in what Grub had said. He decided to let his stupidity slide. He was a different species after all. "When we got the news, we decided to plan the ultimate road trip; 'trip,' being the key word. Our car is _filled _with narcotics, and we decided to stop partying for a bit and visit our brother, who is not here, I assume."

"I don't think you should really tell a trained assassin that your car is filled with drugs." Melinda said with a grin.

"Pfft! Whatever, we're fowls." Beckett proclaimed loudly. "We've gotten away with so much illegal shit; I'm surprised that the F.B.I hasn't had a stroke!"

"Wait!" Grub proclaimed, stopping all conversation in its tracks he moved his hands about, as he tried to make his point. "If you're here, and your brother is the one writing the article, then where is he?"

At that point, Myles made his presence known, as he tumbled out the car, tripping his balls off, and screaming at the top of his lungs, while he scratched himself to the point of bleeding, _"My God! My God! The Bats! The Bats are all over me!"_

* * *

**Meanwhile, back in Paris.**

When Holly pushed Arty into their bedroom, demanding for his body to be all over hers like a wild animal, Mulch and Julius looked at each other and made a solemn, silent vow as she closed the door behind her. They would _wait, _before interrogating their hostage. It seemed that it would be sort of sickening, disturbing, and somewhat difficult to interrogate somebody while the ship would be rocking every which way from Sunday.

(Besides that, Marvin Lawrence was passed out cold, due to the initial impact that was created when his face was slammed down on the shot glass by Artemis's doing. So even if Holly wasn't humping Artemis Fowls brains out, Julius and Mulch would have to wait still to interrogate their prisoner).

And rock it did. Julius and Mulch didn't know, nor did they want to know what in Frond's name was going on behind that closed bedroom door, but whatever it was; it had to have been good. They raised their eyebrows whenever a new noise or new movement was created. Because the way the married couple was doing "their business," apparently, it was in such a powerful way that the whole boat was rocking like it was out to sea on a stormy day. It was defiantly good.

Well, good For Artemis. Julius, Mulch, Juliet, and Foaly got the shit end of the stick.

Arty was having the time of his life; mind was completely blank due to the pleasure that he was receiving. There was his incredibly hot, incredible attractive, flexible, in-shape wife, demanding to be ravaged like a wild animal, (which she would receive, no doubt.) but, as an added bonus, she was somewhat drunk and coked up all to hell. Meaning, that she would get what she wanted, when she wanted it, and she would do it for hours and hours on end. If his pace wasn't fast enough, she was going to flip him over, passionately French kiss him to the point where Arty could've possibly choked on _her _tongue going down _his _throat, and she would take over. It. Was. _Amazing!_

His friends, however, weren't so found of Holly's new state. They never thought in a million years they would have to say this, but…the Fowls were loud. _Really loud. _The loudest one out of the two was defiantly Holly. They had no clue what was going on in there, but from the way she was screaming, there was two probable conclusions.

1.) She was getting murdered.

or 2.) She was having the greatest ride ever. Rollercoasters all across the world were being put to shame from the way Arty was taking her on "the journey". (Six Flags eat your heart out.)

The Fowls usually weren't this vocal during intercourse. But that was different now. Holly had gone completely bat guano due to the fairy drugs and alcohol, and because of this, she was expressing the pleasure she was receiving, (as well as giving, *wink wink*), as loud as she possibly could. It had gotten so bad that Juliet had to leave the speed boat for a while to buy the gang all ear plugs; and even that didn't fully block out the sound.

That was another thing…Juliet had enough time to leave the speed boat, run into a French sports shop to buy ear protection, run back out, run back to the speed boat, and _still, _the couple was going strong. They were long lasting lovers. It had been…..2 hours….possibly 3, and the married couple of 15 years was still screwing each other like 2 horny rats in a sweaty gym sock.

And those three things, (the boat rocking, the loud noises, and the length of it all,) was starting to piss Root off.

The elf was sea sick, mind boggled, going deaf, and angry. He could no longer take it. He, along with Mulch, were patently waiting outside the door of the bedroom, so as soon as Fowl was "finished," they could question Marvin immediately. Thus, lies why Root was so mad. Their prisoner was right here, on the boat. Three or four good answers and boom, they could find Koboi, bring her to justice, and the world could be safe once more. But that had to wait, why? Fowl needed to catch up on some booty.

"Do you think that it's fair, that Arty can get all the-" Mulch began towards Julius.

Julius couldn't hear. (Loud noises and ear plugs). "What!" Julius shouted.

"_Do you think that it's fair that mud boy here gets to screw to his heart's content, meanwhile, we have to suffer_?" Mulch proclaimed at the top of his lungs. He was somewhat mad as well, though, not as mad as Root. So, as soon as Mulch exclaimed this, for the first time in possibly the history of the universe, the elf and the dwarf actually agreed on something.

_"Yes! I concure!"_ Root exclaimed.

_"I mean really?" _Mulch retaliated with and equal sense of offense towards Arty's current affair. _"We have a perfectly good prisoner right here, Ready to be Questioned_, _and Arty's off doing the Nasty! that makes no sense_!"

"_I know!" _Root screamed with that rough growl that accompanied his former non-clone self. _"It's Bullshit! complete and utter bull-_…whoa. Wait a minute…do you notice something out of the ordinary."

Mulch most certainly did. His eyes had now widened to the size of saucers. He found that he could hear Julius at a quieter register. That Meant all sound had seized. Also, he found that the boat was starting to calm down. It had stopped rocking. Something so powerful, so intense, had suddenly, out of nowhere…vanished. What was going on? Julius's and Mulch's mind raced with questions.

"What happened?" Julius asked as he looked around the cabin bay in confusion.

"I don't know." Mulch replied as he himself, stared along the ceiling of the inside of the boat, flabbergasted.

Suddenly, a new sound emitted itself into the room. It's source coming from behind the closed door. It got louder and louder, and it seemed to alternate in pace. It was a dull thud-like sound. Weight was hitting the bottom of the floor inside the bedroom. The sound was completely describable, and it was automatically recognizable.

The sound was footsteps.

No sooner had the sounds seized, the door opened. Mulch immediately gagged and almost passed out as he ran away from the cabin bay. The dwarf was now mentally scared for life. Julius just stood there befuddled. For, opening the door and standing in the door way, in all his frontal naked glory, was none other than Artemis Fowl. His hair was slipshod, his face and body glistening with sweat, and his breathing was heavy. Not because he was just in the middle of having sex, (that was part of the reason), but also because of his intense boiling anger.

He stared at Julius, and at first, he seemed calm and collective. Moment by moment, however, the anger started to get released. Then, realizing that he was naked, he grabbed the nearest robe next to him, and placed it on himself. While he spoke.

"Gentlemen, or Gentleman, seeing as how the other one left," Artemis conducted with a business ethic tone in his voice. "I assume, in fact, I am positively certain that both of you, in fact, all of you onboard this ship are rather angry at my actions I am currently conducting. And, I couldn't agree with you more. If I was in any one of your positions I'd be angered myself." Then, as he finished tying on his robe, his eyes glared down horrifically, as if he had became some sort of demonic creature. "But I am currently in the position of a lustfully crazy, sexually deprived wife who is 'bowing down' to my commands and is in need of my 'services.'" Artemis literally used hand quotes when he spoke some of his words. "So, I politely ask you sir, please, to _FUCK OFF, AND GET OUT OF MY LIFE. HELL, IF IT BOTHERS YOU SO BAD, LEAVE THE SHIP. GO OUT ON THE TOWN, PARTY. WE'VE CAPTURED MARVIN, IT'S TIME TO CELEBRATE. JUST LEAVE ME BE. NOW!" _

And with that, Artemis slammed the door shut and continued 'slamming,' his wife in between their sheets.

Julius and the rest of the gang took initiative, and left the boat, searching for the closest bar. They were in good need of a drink, as they were just dying to forget about this messed up day. More importantly, they were looking for any good reason to leave the now operational, "love boat."

* * *

**Back in the Fowl Manor, Few hours later. **

Apollo woke up feeling daze. He also woke up feeling cold. A sharp, cold, bitter feeling was spreading along his forehead. It was like he was out in the icy tundra. Then, his eyes started to re-adjust to his surroundings. Things were blurry and incomprehensible at first. Then, he realized that he was looking upwards as he laid down flat on the floor. Also, someone was placing an Ice pack to his fore head.

"Wakey Wakey," Beckett exclaimed with a snarky smile wider than the Great Wall of China. "It's time to wake up from your little nap sweetheart.

Apollo groaned. He just met this person and all ready, he was starting to dislike him. He found that he could no longer hate. That part of him left when Lope had died and he and his father made their amends on the car ride back to the manor. He could still get easily ticked off though.

"What the hell happened?" Apollo moaned in agony as his body tried desperately to wake up.

"You took some massive fall when you discovered that you had uncles." A voice supplied from the corner of the room. "Uncles who happen to be druggies."

Beckett turned his head towards the source of the noise. He spat back, sounding somewhat offended, "We're not druggies, this is the first time we've taken anything."

"All it takes is one," The voice said with a monolithic sense of sadness, melancholy, and anger.

Meanwhile, in the background, Apollo was awestruck by a sudden noise. It sounded like a wine, with hints and qualities of a propeller whirling. It was a very strange sound. Yet, it also contained a humanized voice. It was as if someone was having a massive breakdown. This noise was so strange, so extraordinary; Apollo forced his tired body to stand upright, so he could get a good look of whoever was doing that noise.

Apollo had assumed correctly. For, sitting in the coroner, rocking to and fro, making the most eccentric sounds possible was none other than Myles. It seemed as if he was 'falling down,' as it were. And he was not happy about it. In fact, he was frightened and bewildered, to the point of almost crying. The high was ending, and the lows were just ready to begin.

_"oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!"_ Myles screamed in utter terror. In between his frightful moans and shrieking of agony, Myles continued making his strange, bewildering noise. " _i see pigs, and blood….and hookers and bats and all that shit!"_

"Myles, listen to me," Melinda demanded as she got up close to Myles's face and motioned her hands to make his eyes focus on her face. It was the age old symbolic expression for 'focus up,' and Melinda pulled it off so flawlessly, the deranged druggie started to actually _pay attention. _"It's ok. There's nothing to worry about. And you certainly aren't seeing bats and crazy shit, are you?" Melinda stated in a way which showed that she knew what was actually happening, and that there was no fooling her.

"….not really," Myles mumbled with a hint of pure humility. "But things are freaking me out!" He proclaimed with anger and self righteousness.

"Like what?" Melinda asked.

"Well…." Myles said in a long drawn out breath. He began to shake, and when he spoke up yet again, his voice was laced with pure horrifying paranoia. "I…..I'm starting to _notice things."_

"It's called reality Myles. You should check in sometime." Melinda exclaimed with no amount of remorse, fully sardonic.

"I don't know man," Myles proclaimed as he scratched himself some more. His earlier high spell had caused him some fatal marks, but nothing that needed serious medical attention. A quick patch up with a first aid kit was all he needed. Now all he needed series consoling and something to hold on to. "This all seems just a bit too much to take in at one moment." Then, suddenly, a strange thought arouse in his head. This thought was followed by a gasp and a twinkle in his eye. To him, he thought it was genius. If he wasn't high, he would've realized that what he was about to say was without a doubt, the dumbest thing anyone has every proclaimed. "Maybe…..I maybe I can snuff it."

Melinda snapped. She pulled back her hand, and suddenly, with no restraint,

_**SLAP!**_

A firm back hand followed by a even swifter and more elite right hand palm to his cheek. His face already began to heat, turn red, and swell. Tears immediately followed, from both sides of the spectrum. Myles cried out in shock and pain. Melinda cried out in wretched past memories, and in anger.

"NEVER! NEVER EVER THINK ABOUT SNUFFING IT! AND IF YOU EVER THINK A THOUGHT LIKE THAT AGAIN, I WILL SEND YOU TO THE FIRE DEPTHS OF HELL MYSELF! GOT IT!"

It only took a few precious seconds later to realize what she had done. Everyone in the room, including Apollo, (who had jumped out of the bed and stood on his feet as soon as her hand collided with Myles's face,) stood there flabbergasted at the sight that he just witnessed. This was a side of Melinda that few had ever seen, and if they did, they shortly fell under a cruel and painful death. This was her dark side, her take action side; the side that had been trained and expressed through her early years when her mother began her bodyguard training at 8 years old. It was sad that everyone, especially Apollo and Myles, had to receive the blunt end of it.

"Myles, I'm truly sorry." She began. Then she leaned in forward. "Tell ya what I'll do." She showed both her hands to make sure that Myles paid attention. After giving off a small sniffle, his eyes opened up greatly and he began to copy her actions. "I know how to handle a comedown." She explained. "Take both your hands, grab your ear lobes, and start chanting, 'la, la, la, la' like this. Think you can do that?" she asked nicely.

Myles proceeded to do as she told him, rocking back and forth, grabbing his ears, and proclaimed his lullaby as if it were a Buddhist's monk's mantra. It lasted for quite some time, well, in his mind it did. In just a few short seconds, Myles went from hysteric, to calm, to blasé, to pass out on the ground.

Melinda rose from her position on the floor. When she turned around, she was greeted by the slack jaws of everyone around her. She felt some shame in what she did earlier. But, had they known why she did it, they would assume that it was justified. Thus, it was at this moment that her composer broke. It didn't break in the form of a cry, nor a shout, but in a small shudder of empathy, and self-loathing. Why did she always have to hide the truth, only to reveal it when someone close to her got hurt? She opened her eyes, and exclaimed in a whisper…..

"I think it's time that you guys learned about my past." She stated.

But she might as well have been talking to brick walls. For, as soon as her mouth opened up, Beckett, Trouble, and Grub, ran to Myles's side on the floor. She was somewhat shocked that Beckett had left her side; being that he was a close friend of the family. But she wasn't surprised at all that Grub and Trouble had left. They had known the Fowls way more intensely than the Butler's. One of their kinds was married to a Fowl after all. She only assumed that it was part of the agreement that if one fowl was broken down, two fairies shall raise him back up.

Beckett turned around to apologize. "I'm so sorry Melinda. I know we are good friends and all," He began with sympathy in his voice, along with humility that he had to do something so nasty. "It's just, he's my brother and…..how could you do such a thing?"

"If you would stick around," she mentioned as she motioned her head towards Grub and Trouble, who were slackly pulling the slumped Myles from the floor, and carrying him out of the room. "You'd find out soon enough."

"I would, believe me, I would." Beckett stated with compassion that couldn't be hidden. "It's just…I gotta take care of family you know. And you are as close to family as you can possibly get….but….it's my brother you know. I have to be there for him. Please forgive me."

"I do, you're too close of a friend to stay mad at," she proclaimed as she smiled. Then, she motioned her thumb to the two fairies that struggled with the lackluster body of Myles. They dropped him once, as they groaned in annoyance and dissatisfaction. "Now go, before they drop him down the stairs."

Beckett smiled at the small joke on Melinda's part, and then he ran towards his new friends, and assisted in carrying Myles out of the room.

Melinda watched them all the way through. When the door closed, she sighed and closed her eyes. It hurt, knowing that she had the ability to hurt everyone. She had so much inside her that she wanted to expose, but fear of rejection or judgment crippled her emotionally.

She opened her eyes….

Apollo stood right there, with a big smile and eyes that showed nothing more than compassion and friendship. "I'm here. And I always will be." He said.

Suddenly, she felt strange. At this moment, she wanted to cry. She wanted to fall on his shoulder and let the pain go away in one long hour of continues torrential down pour of tears. Or, maybe the pain could levitate from her body in one swift kiss. She stopped herself, wondering where in the hell that thought came from. She shook it off, realizing that Apollo really was interested in knowing her better. She needed someone to talk to, he was there, and from the looks of his wide, welcoming eyes, there would be no judgment on his part. So, it was in him, that she would reside.

"Come to bed with me." She ordered lightly.

Apollo's face broke into what could best be described as gawky, horny, teenager. His brain began to fry. His…'area', became active. "…I'm sorry what.'

"We need a comfortable place to sit down and talk some." She exclaimed. "Get your mind out of the gutter."

They both laughed.

* * *

**Few hours later, back in Paris.**

Holly awoke groggy and confused.

The last thing she remembered, was being in the bar watching her beloved husband slam down Marvin's face into the shot glass. She remembered the blood, the violence, the mayhem that presented itself in front of her. And the last thing that she remembered before blacking out…was the undying, explosive, completely overwhelming _lust _that she felt for Arty at that moment.

Now, she found herself in a bed; a rather sweaty bed. She could've sworn that when she moved, a new pool of sweat would soak out from the mattress. It was as if their bed (crap, she remembered that it was her and her husband's bed inside the boat that she was sleeping in), had became a giant sponge. Question was, why?

She got up very slowly. It didn't take long for her to realize that she was naked. She walked on the balls of her feet, careful not to make any noise. She had no clue how she got here, more importantly, she didn't know what she did or how she acted when she arrived. So, it was important not to disturb any other soul that might be present on the ship with her. Silently, she walked towards the bath room, which was dark like a strange abyss. She fumbled around looking for the light switch. Then, she found it.

When the light flooded the room, she gasped in surprise. She was staring back at herself in the mirror. She looked…..atrocious. Not in the sense that her beauty had wavered in any way.. She still looked amazingly gorgeous, and her face wasn't broken. But her hair! Good Gods, it looked as if though her hair had been torn up, chewed up, and swallowed whole by some ravenous animal, and vomited back into her skull. It had been pulled in several different directions and looked completely dismantled. And speaking of animals, she noticed hickies; lots and lots of hickies. Some were on the side of her neck, as most hickies do often appear. But some had been found in the strangest of places. For instance, her thigh. On her thigh was one giant, gaping hicky that she knew would stay there for a couple of weeks. She was ashamed to admit this, been when she found that particular bruise….she smiled. She was going to take in great pleasure in watching it color throughout the weeks. So she left that particular mark remain. The ones that trailed along her neck, chest, and shoulders, she healed up almost immediately. As she did this, she smiled, yet somehow groaned in annoyance at the same time for; she knew that there was only one person who could explain this.

She found her robe and quietly walked out of her bedroom.

She made damn sure that she didn't trip over any wires or chords that strew themselves along the main cabin bay. She didn't want to accidently wake up fellow passengers. She moved her head back and forth as she studied their rooms. She recognized almost immediately, that they were deeply asleep. Mulch had possibly one of the worst snores ever. As for Julius, Juliet, and Foaly, she didn't really know if they were asleep nor cared to know if they were asleep.

She only cared about one thing at that particular moment. And that thing was sitting on the deck of the speed boat, staring up at the night sky, with what appeared to be a cigar sticking out from his fingers. She smiled and sighed greatly at this sight. It was very rare to see her husband in moments like this. Artemis looked peaceful.

She went on about her business and walked up on the deck. She was trying her hardest to remain within the shadows and to not make a noise, but she seemed to have forgotten who she was sneaking up upon.

"You looked to peaceful to disturb while sleeping, so I left you in the bed." Artemis responded with smile while not turning his head one bit; his eyes still gleaming as they stared along the France night sky.

She grumbled shortly in defecate. "To do what?" she asked, "Smoke your cigar?"

"It's becoming a nasty habit," Artemis recognized as he tapped some of the ashes out of his cigar onto the ash tray. "Besides, nothing beats an extensive, hard, three to four hour shag than a nice, relaxing cigar."

Holly had now stood in front of her man; her beauty was multiplied by the way the moon light, star light, and speed boat lights reflected off her body. The white robe revealed much of her body, but not too much. It was just enough to make Artemis salivate. He was surprised. After their last roll in the hay, he wondered if he would ever feel aroused ever again.

Her arms were crossed as she tapped her foot lightly. "So that's what we did after we left the bar." Holly commented.

Artemis was shocked. "Wait, you don't remember?" He asked slightly amazed.

"Not one bit." Holly admitted as she disappointingly shook her head with a smile.

Artemis shrugged his shoulders. It was typical. She was coked up, drunk, and out of her mind when they preformed their great acts of love. Of course she wasn't going to remember anything. Luckily, he and his wife had worked out a system just for moments like these. It was conjured up after their great three week honeymoon on one of the few private islands that the Fowl's owned. Artemis smiled greatly at this memory. He still won't ever forget licking the marmalade off her chest.

It was rather simple, really. It was just a basic healing procedure. Multiple things get damaged when someone gets drunk. Throats are torn to shreds due to excessive vomiting. Eyes are blacked and knees are scrapped if one should fall while hammered. But the biggest thing that is damaged is the mind. Multiple brains cells are lost when one decides to party extensively and in rapid repetition. So, in theory, all Artemis or Holly had to do in case one of them got hammered and woke up not remembering a bit from last night, was to heal their brains. The first time they tried it, it worked like gold. They will never forget their honeymoon.

When Artemis healed his wife on that speedboat, yet again, her memories came flooding back crystal clear. She remembered everything. His touch, his feel, his hot breath against her neck, her commandments, her orders, the ferocity, the intensity, the noises that they both made…it was a bit too much to take in at one moment. Her body felt as if though it were on fire. Her eyes rolled back slightly in the remembrance of such pleasure.

She smiled towards her husband, "You were amazing," she told him.

"Why thank you captain." Artemis jokingly replied. Then, still with his smile, he told her seriously, "However, if you must thank someone, look in a mirror. You were the one, 'piloting the ship,' as it were."

She chuckled at this comment, and pecked her husband on the lips, while she crawled on top of his lap. He returned with a peck to her lips as well. They both laughed for a bit, enjoying ones company. Moments like this hardly ever came along the Fowl family household. They took what little moments they could get.

But as she pulled back, her hand touched something that lay along the dashboard. It made a thin, crinkly, sharp sound that could only be described as paper. She looked towards whatever object she was crumpling. It was white, with blue outlines. They were drawings, most of which were Arty's, but some came from other sources. She also noticed a giant text book of what appeared to be 'Civil War history.' It looked like plans; plans for some big archeological dig. But what for?

"What's this?" She asked her husband in surprise.

He noticed what she had stumbled upon, and shuddered. He tried to grab the papers and books and toss them to the side, as he said, "Oh it's nothing. Nothing really."

But her hand had stopped the genius dead in his tracks. She looked him in the eyes, with a dead seriousness that couldn't have been distracted even if one were to try his or her hardest to do so. She spoke with such clarity, such sincerity, and such emotion that it made Arty feel guilty for trying to hide this plan from his wife, as well he should've been.

"Arty, don't lie to me." She spoke with a pout in her lips.

The genius groaned as he brought the papers back out from the small cabinet that stood by his chairs side. He sat the papers down on the dashboard yet again. He turned to his wife and smiled. He lips pursed in a way that revealed that he was truly meaning what he was about to say next.

Which is why, when he said, "I'm kinda glad that Opal is back," that it offended Holly greatly.

"Wha-" Holly almost shouted before her lips were silenced by the touch of Arty's index finger.

"Hear me out," he began. "Opal's return has presented us with two equally amazing opportunities. Firstly, it allows us to actually watch that wrenched pixie squirm, as we kill her and put an end to her existence once and for all."

Holly smirked slightly at this, fully agreeing with her counterpart.

"Secondly," Artemis stated, "it allows us to pursue something that I've been studying for a long time."

"Which is?" Holly posed as Artemis grabbed the papers and showed them to her. The Irish man began to clear his throat, as he prepared to make his speech.

"Back during the Civil war," Artemis stated. "America issued a new type of currency, called greenbacks. Now, it was rumored for the longest time that both sides of the war issued their very own type of coinage currency, so that the union boys could only purchase items from Union delegates, and that the confederate boys could only by from confederates. Now, this rumored was exposed as truth when a man found the union coins in a civil war bunker just outside his house in Nebraska. What makes this interesting is that people have discovered the union coins, but not the Confederate coins. No one truly knows what happened to the coins, but there's an urban legend that says that near the end of the war, the confederates realized that they were losing, so they took most of their supplies and placed them on a large, heavily armored, cannon-ball proof ship and that they went out to sea. So where did this ship end up? No one truly knows. Some say Asia, some may even say Australia, but, through my calculations, I've discovered that the most likely place for this ship to end up would be-"

Holly took the words right out of his mouth. "The Sahara."

"Exactly," Artemis supplied as he placed his items back into the cabinet. Once he was finished, he turned back to his wife who sat upon his lap, and spoke about the seriousness of the situation. "Holly, due to its historical value, each coin in it of itself has been totaled to be worth about 6 grand in American Currency. And there have been reports saying that the ship was filled with about 30 tons of these coins. Do you realize what sort of opportunity has presented itself before us."

Holly smirked yet again. Her husband couldn't ever change his habits even if he tried his hardest. Though, he did once before, long ago, just for her. And that is why she loved him. "So, the Great Artemis Fowl has gone from fairy hunter, to treasure hunter." She announced mockingly.

"Well, I wouldn't necessarily call this treasure 'extravagant.''" Artemis pointed out with his signature vampire-grin. "I already have the greatest treasure of all."

"Which is?" Holly asked yet again.

A glimmer in his eyes appeared when he spoke. His smile went from strangely sarcastic, to amazing sweet. He spoke lowly, and quietly; almost a whisper. "You."

Her heart melted.

She kissed him once more and turned around on his lap so that her back laid across his chest. He wrapped his hands around her waist and clutched her tightly in a loving fashion. They both stared up at the night sky, in both awe and amazement. They were just small creatures in this great big world, and even though they were told that their actions had a great impact on their kind, they knew that in the grand total of things, they were nothing more than just slight blimps on the great radar of life.

And yet, with each other, they couldn't have been happier.

* * *

**Meanwhile, back in Dublin.**

They sat on the bed, and talked for hours. Well, Melinda did most of the talking, but Apollo was contorted with listening. However, with each passing sentence, he was begging to regret his decision. He had no clue how messed up her life was. She told him about how her mother met her father while she was still working as a professional wrestler down in Mexico. She told him about how the custody charges got tampered with, and how she had to go back to her father at the age of seven. She told him about how he was a horribly addicted alcoholic and drug user. She told him about the time where he had overdosed on LSD, and about how he decided to 'snuff it.' She told him about remembering what it was like being a small girl, waking up to the sound of a gunshot as her father's brains splattered all over the dashboard of their RV. She told him about how she went back to Dublin to live with Juliet. She told him about the bond that her and her mother had shared almost immediately. She told him about the rigorous training that she went through to become a bodyguard. She told him about the intense process that her own mother had put her through. She told him about jumping out of airplanes, firing guns, and learning how to use a Japanese Kunai. She told him about the numerous jobs that she had to pull with her mother, and told him of her first kill; slitting a man's throat who had threaten Artemis with a gun.

When is it was all said and done, Apollo just looked down, with wide eyes, and proclaimed, "…..wow…just, wow."

Melinda looked at the red head teenage boy, somewhat confused by his reaction. She was expecting something along the lines of this, but he looked incredibly confused. "You ok?" she asked with the utmost sincerity and compassion for her friend.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Apollo proclaimed. "It's just…that's a lot to be put through as a child, and a lot to tell a 15 year old boy."

"I really hope that this doesn't jade your opinion of me." Melinda said.

"You kidding," Apollo exclaimed. "In my mind, what you just told me makes me think of you even more highly. To be put through all that and still come out ok…..that's saying something. You're even stronger than I could ever imagine. "

"why thank you," Melinda replied in her thick southern accent as she began to blush.

Apollo was just about to say something so romantic, sweet, kind, and gentle…..only to be interrupted by an tremendous yawn. "….so sorry." Apollo sleepily replied. "I must head off to bed."

"Well, you could just sleep right here with me." Melinda supplied.

Apollo was now no longer sleepy, and suddenly, he was mesmerized. "….wh-what?" He asked slightly dazed by her words.

She sighed as she told him this, but it needed to be said. "Apollo….I know that you're a guy and you have a hard time contemplating things like emotions and stuff…..but I've just sorta bared my soul with ya. I need some comfort. You're a really good, friend, so I was hoping you could….y'know….hold on to me."

Apollo thought about this for a few moments. Then, when he spoke, he did so jokingly and with such a sense of humor that it made Melinda laugh. However, what he said made complete and absolute sense. "So let me get this straight…..you want me, to cuddle with you, but I'm still just a friend and I can't do anything sexual. Melinda, I'm not a superman you know. I'm a teenage boy filled with hormones currently spinning out of control in my body. You're asking for a lot here."

Melinda laughed. "I know, just….try to keep calm cowboy." She stated with a wink.

"I'm more worried about you trying to pull the moves on me…cowgirl." Apollo replied with an equally suggestive wink.

"You haven't even seen me pull any moves yet. Trust me, when I pull the moves, you tend to notice it." Melinda commented as she pulled the covers over her and began to lay down on her side. She patted the side of her hip. "Place your hand right here. Hold tightly, but no funny business."

"You're asking for trouble." Apollo groaned with a smirk.

Melinda chuckled. "I know. Isn't this fun?"

Apollo smiled as he pulled her closer. In the end, she was nothing more than a friend, but a rather close friend at that, and really, he couldn't ask for anything more. "I'll do this for you, but I must say it right now. If you wake up in the morning and you look at me and something that appears to be a squirrel is sticking up through the blankets between my legs, I just saying right now, that I can't help it."

Melinda smirked. "Pfft. Please. Knowing how wimpy you act, it's probably no bigger than a mouse."

Apollo gave off his best 'hurt' face. "Ow. Melinda. That hit me right here." Apollo jokingly told her as he pointed to his chest.

She giggled as they cuddled together even closer. Soon, sleep came to them and they surrendered to the slumber as they closed their eyes and drifted off happily into their dreams.

* * *

**AWWW! WHAT A FLUFF TASTIC CHAPTER. Apollo and Melinda seem to be getting along quite well. And did you hear about the ship Arty was speaking off earlier in the chapter. I SMELL SUBPLOT! **

**I have some good news and bad news for you folks. The Good News: the next chapter is going to be a short, fast paced, action packed fuel driven adventure that will surely delighted all audiences. **

**The bad news: the update will take awhile. Basketball starts this Monday and I believe I'll be to tired from the practices to do anything. I'll try to upload it in November. And don't worry folks, I mean it this time. Mark your calendars for thanksgiving. That's when the newest chapter should be up. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter very much. Until next time, PLEASE REVIEW!**

**God bless.**

**Welcometofightclub. **


	18. Over, Under, Waterways, Down

**When the 24****th**** of November rolls around, many people take time to reflect on what they are thankful for. For Instance, I am thankful for punk rock band Cerebral Ballzy, for, without which, we would be stuck in a never endless void of crap-tacular corporate music. *silently thanks Cerebral Ballzy.* you know what else I'm thankful for….PIES! This thanksgiving, I just stuffed my face with as much pumpkin pie as possible. I loved every second of it. And yes, afterwards, I couldn't move a single muscle in my body, but that seized to matter. Pie is Awesome. I am also thankful for all my fans who review and enjoy Apollo. And I bet I know what you are all thankful for…..APOLLO. And so, to mark this memorable day, I have posted the newest, coolest, most exciting, action packed chapter of Apollo yet. I really hope you all enjoy. **

**Song: Panama. Artist: Van Halen. **

_There are basically two types of people. People who accomplish things and people who claim to have accomplished things. The first group is less crowded._ _Action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often._

_-Mark Twain. _

* * *

The interrogation process was a short and interesting one.

It was early in the morning and as everyone began to rise from their sleep, they came to the conclusion that since Arty was no longer….Ahem…"preoccupied", _now _would be a good time to stir Marvin from his slumber, and get some information. After all, that was the main reason why they were out here on this speed boat, waiting blissfully in the water ways as the small tides gently caused the boat to sway. Root, Artemis, and Foaly took charge in the questioning, while Juliet waited in the background with her Sig Sager, ready for employment. Meanwhile, Holly and Mulch began packing wires and equipment on the ship up to shorten up their departure time. They agreed earlier that as soon as Marvin released the information, they would high-tail it out of there; thinking that it would take a while, so it would be best to prepare along the way.

But the negotiations were brief and sweet. For, as soon as Marvin was aroused from his sleep by a slap to the face from Artemis, Marvin eagerly complied and gave them all the information they wanted. The gang was particularly stunned by such a reaction, and asked why he was agreeing ever so freely.

He gave them many reasons, but the biggest one to take into account was this. Marvin screwed up. Opal would have his head on a silver platter if her troops found him. (And yes, he explained that Opal had weaseled her way into rounding up a few mercenaries to use at her disposal). So, as he described in no bitter mood whatsoever, he proclaimed that it would be best to come clean and live, than to resist and die. He was a man of integrity, but you can name your price and anyone can bend their moral compass to ones desire. Marvin's tipping point was his life.

Henceforth, this would forever be known as the shortest friendship that Artemis would ever know.

Artemis stood there, leaning down towards the man bound to a chair by duct tape, and held out his hand, waiting for it to be shaken, to symbolizing their mutual acquaintance.

"Marvin, I'm rather shocked that you complied so easily." Artemis declared.

"As I said before, I'd rather be living on my knees than dead on my feet." Marvin said with a sly grin.

"Its odd hearing that coming from a man who worked with Koboi for a few years," Julius stated. "Usually the people that we deal with who are under Koboi's rule have balls of steel."

"I'm not saying that I ain't incredibly well endowed," Marvin remarked with an even slyer grin. (This caused Artemis to wince not only at the subject matter, but also at the improper grammar). "But what I am saying is that when my life is on the line, I tend to chicken out. I'm a coward. I'll accept it. My family is filled with cowards. My father was one, my brother is one, and I'm one as well. I just have enough guts to admit it."

"And it's by these cowardly actions you live to tell the tale," Artemis explained as their hands finally made contact and they shook. "Thank you for your cooperation." And then, Artemis started undoing the binds on the chair. As he did this, Marvin spoke up once more. His tone was radically different than before. It shook in trepidation and stuttered with a nervous jingle.

"Hey, I gotta explain something real quickly." Marvin proclaimed.

Artemis snapped his head back towards Marvin's level. "Yes?" he stated in an almost unwanted monotone.

Marvin exhaled a very large breath and sighed greatly. Whatever he was about to speak of, it gave him a heavy burdened heart. So, releasing this burden would heal his wounds, and it gave him much happiness to do so; although it certainly didn't sound like it at the time when he spoke up. "I understand that you've had experience with Opal in the past, but I want you to understand that this Opal is much more different than the one you've encountered.'

Artemis momentarily paused at this moment. He was caught in an abyss of deciding whether or not to agree with this statement or to laugh aloud. He chose the latter instead. "I ask you not to worry." He stated with a chuckle mixed in with a small amount of his vampire-like qualities along with his Irish charm. "We can handle whatever situation she greets us with."

"No, I mean, this Opal is different." Marvin interjected with emphasize in his voice.

Artemis was caught off guard in a small way. He was a master in the art of studying vocal fluctuations and speech patterns. Usually when one speaks about a certain situation, and then after hearing more details on the matter, still refuses to change their opinion, something has been ignored. But Artemis was a man who considered himself one of the smartest beings in all of existence. And most would agree. So he still disregarded Marvin's comments.

"Again, I'm pretty sure we can handle the psychotic tendencies of one mad woman. Hell, at one point in time, we handle two Opals. It seems as though you're mistaken." Artemis replied with a shrug.

"No, you're the one who is mistaken!" Marvin exclaimed a bit louder than usual. Recognizing this, he blushed slightly by which he received. They could be only described as flabbergasted. He coughed and then continued on with his point.

"My Apologies," he began with. "But listen here; I have no clue what you and your friends did to Opal the last time you fought, but it fucked her up royally. This isn't the young, spoiled princess, megalomaniac Opal. This isn't even the older, schizophrenic, 'writes on the walls in her blood, curses at figures which do not exist' Opal. This is a new breed. It's like a mix of the two, with a giant splash of OCD infused within them. She plans thing meticulously on a daily basis. And from the times I've spoken with her, she seems to have a glimmer in her eyes that can only be described as determination. She's indomitable. And she will never, ever, stop."

And as if the Gods had planned only bad luck for the Fowl's today, right on cue, Juliet beamed up from the back, waving her hand about, trying to grab their attention. "uhh….guys. I think we've got company."

Artemis turned his head towards the water. The sight that he was greeted with astonished him; frightened him even. Another boat, (a small fishing boat with a tiny motor), was slowly coming towards them at a slow speed. While this was no more threatening to the mere eye than a cow or a bird, it's slow pace had brought along a strange sense of menace behind it. On the boat, three silhouettes stood up. Noting that they looked like pixies and elves, Artemis conclude that these figures were obviously working under Opal. One of them was equipped with a mega-phone. Because Juliet was the only one onboard the ship who didn't study Gnomish, the pixie was screaming random nonsense into the megaphone. But everyone else on board understood. And shivers went down their spine when, projected into the cold, thick, and clear French atmosphere, came this. "GIVE US MARVIN! WE KNOW YOU HAVE HIM ON BOARD YOU SHIP. GIVE HIM TO US OR DIE!"

"They're here." Marvin stated with a sense of dread.

"WE PROMISE WE WILL NOT HURT YOU." The pixie continued on.

'Yeah right,' Artemis sardonically thought crystal clearly within his head. He knew how things were going to play out. As soon as the gang would hand over Marvin, a bullet would splatter his brains against their deck, followed by the pixies turning their guns on them, pumping the gang full of lead. It was an elementary bait and switch. A Monkey could've foreseen the events that would happen if they complied. Still, however, for a brief second Artemis wondered if they _could, _hurt them. After all, this was _France; _one of the biggest populated cities in the world. Even though they were on water, if one were to have jumped off the boat, all they had to do was swim for a few feet and marble steps and wooden docks would be at their disposal. If the pixies were to fire upon them, many onlookers would notice. Civilians tend to react to gunfire. Opal's cover would be blown, and if Artemis was so sure about anything, it was that Opal's success lied upon her ability to remain hidden from the world. A massive killing would instantly remove that cloak of invisibility, and she would be exposed.

Then, Artemis noticed something else. On the rear of the ship, pointing towards the shoreline, a giant strobe light supported by a steel beam was emitting itself onto the roadways and buildings. He instantly recognized the invention, mainly because Foaly cursed under his breath, "That damn pixie can't keep her hands off my designs can't she?"

It was a little contraption that Foaly had invented around the time Apollo would've been three. Noticing that the population of fairies was increasing, and that a multitude of fairies were starting to have trouble shielding their presence from the mud men, Foaly came up with a fantastic design that would be activated in case of emergency. If a fairy were to be discovered, that said fairy would activate this new invention, called the "Mind-block light," and shine the beam right into the onlookers face. The mud man would instantly pass out and have no recollection of yesterday's events. This item became hugely popular, to the point that the L.E.P. started requesting larger ones on the backs of their wings to reduce the amount of shielding a field operative had to do during a mission. The light on the boat was one of the larger categories.

So, recognizing this, Artemis realized that there would be not witnesses in case of murder. They were screwed.

"TELL US WHERE HE IS!" The pixie continued shouting in his native tongue. "We know you have him!"

Suddenly, the light bulb switched on in Foaly's brain.

Carefully, he walked over to Holly, and whispered in her ear. "Hey Holly, you see that wench cable near the back end of our boat."

Holly recognized it immediately, as it was right there in front of her, perpetrating up in the air. "Yep," she responded.

"Ok, this is going to sound crazy, but I think it might get us out of this situation." Foaly answered somewhat turbulent.

"Crazy is better than nothing." She said.

"I need you to grab that cable," he stated. "Swim under water. Hook it to their motor, get back here, and ask Arty to speed off. Think you can do that." He said with a wink.

She smiled ever so deviously. "Hell yeah. I believe my husband and I will enjoy it the most. Though, I'm gonna need a distraction."

"I'm on it," he responded; patting her on the back to symbolize the urgency of acting now. Holly did so and slowly walked towards Artemis. She told her husband about the plan, to which he smiled as well. Then, secretly and ever so quietly, she sank into the water, under the disguise of her shielding prowess.

Mean while, Foaly strode over to Juliet and explained the plan to her.

"Sounds good," she stated with a bizarre sense of tranquility. "You need me to provide a distraction?" she asked fully noting that that was her duty.

"Yes please." Foaly said politely.

Suddenly, and without warning, Juliet ran towards the back of the boat, towards the intruders, and began flapping her arms about like a chicken without its head. Belting at the top of her lungs, she exclaimed in English, "WHOA! WHOA! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU SAYING!"

The pixies were caught off guard. They weren't prepared for such a reaction. However, they did recognize that they were speaking in gnomish. So, switching tongues, the pixie with the mega-phone asked once more, "Where is Marvin Lawrence? We know you have him."

"Who?" Juliet answered back in a bewildered tone. Meanwhile, Holly casually swam under the ship, pulling along the wench cable behind her. Years of active L.E.P. training made her able to do so without causing a sound, and doing so with ease. The cable to her weighed no more than a paper clip. She was a fairly strong girl. Arty was lucky to have her.

While this was going on, up above the water, the pixies stood there befuddled. Obviously, these were not the smart pixies like Opal, but more so, they were the dumb pixies like Mervill. Again, the creatures stated, "Marvin Lawrence; Opal Koboi's premium weapons supplier. You have him! We know!"

Juliet smiled to herself as she released this next part of her distraction. It was simply witty and hilarious. "Sorry Guys. I don't speak English."

This caught the pixies off guard. They were simply flabbergasted. But, rather than realizing that they were being jinxed and firing without any command, the pixies looked at each other with dumb founded faces. It simply made no sense.

Meanwhile, under the water, Holly finally made contact with the motor and hooked the cable to it almost immediately. The great thing about having healing powers was the fact that you can hold your breath for a long time. Your magic would simply just heal your lungs while you remained without breath. Still, however, it was an energy consuming task, almost draining her completely of magic. So, wasting no time, as soon as the cable was equipped, Holly high tailed it out of there, went under the ship, and frantically swam back towards the boat.

Above the surface of the water, the pixies finally came up with a reply. "But, you've been speaking English this whole time." The one with the mega-phone interjected.

Juliet's smile simply grew wider. "Nope. I only know how to say, 'I don't speak English,' in English.'"

Immediately, right at that given time, Holly sprang up from out of the water right next to the Fowl speed boat. She gasped for breath very loudly, and spat water out in a long and constant stream like some would regularly see in a cartoon. The pixies were simply shocked by what they just witnessed. With a shout, they prepared their weapons. Thank God Juliet had the urgency in mind to grab their attention again before someone was hurt. Screaming at the top of her lungs, she distracted the mercenaries, giving Holly just enough time to get onboard the ship and sit next to her husband, who was behind the wheel manning the throttle.

"HEY!" she shouted without reserve, waving her arms about. "CAN I ASK YOU A FAVOR?"

This struck the pixies as odd. But their faces didn't show it. They kept their military-like pose. With a weapon equipped in hand, and menacing danger sporting their aura, they asked, "What is it?"

Juliet cackled, and a devilish, smug grin painted itself across her face in that instant. She gestured her hands towards Holly and Artemis, and proclaimed ever so loudly, "Won't you say hello to the happy couple?"

"HI! BYE!" both Arty and Holly replied in unison; both in timing and in sound.

Artemis revved up the throttle to its highest degree. The boat began to take off like a rocket. While the mercenaries for this job were fairly stupid, it didn't take long for either of the three of them to realize that they were in a bad position. Suddenly, a loud _CRACK _was emitted into the morning air. The cable proved stronger than the motor, and in a flash, the motor was yanked out from behind the poor wooden boat. This violent movement cause the boat to manically fling it's occupants up into the air. Their bodies flew about in the air in a silly manner, and like rocks, they collided into the water brutally, creating big splashes.

Meanwhile, the Fowl gang celebrated with high fives and hollers as they blasted off into the French waters ways. They dodge everything they could with ease. Fowl was actually a pretty good driver. Ever since Orion got integrated into his brain thanks to therapy, Fowl received some more efficient skills making him better at certain task. His motor skills were possible the most improved, along with his self defense. In fact, his motor skills were _so _good, that Fowl was able to enjoy the merriment as well, and gave Foaly a much needed high five, as they celebrated their escape.

But it was short lived, however. For, instantly, out of nowhere, Mulch screamed like a sissy girl. This was followed by Julius screaming in his gruff manner, "HOLY SHIT! GET DOWN NOW!" then; machine gun fire.

It sprayed itself along the ship in a destructive fashion. However, the Gods must've been looking out for the gang today, as it was determined that no one got shot. There were some giant bullet holes on the ship, however, this did not affect the gang in anyway, for, none of the bullets got anywhere close near the engine, and the holes that were present, didn't cause the ship to become sinkable in anyway.

But it did scare the living day lights out of them.

"Jesus Christ! What just happened?" Artemis Fowl announced ever so loudly. The trepidation that was in his heart cause him to almost not notice the dock that was in front of him. Immediately, in time, Fowl jerked the wheel back and the speed boat dodged the wooden mass in a terrific action movie-like fashion. The gang had to hang on for dear life, and wishfully hope that their balance would not give way. With Arty at the wheel, falling off the ship would be about as easy as a baby crawling.

Now, back on the twisting and turning corners of Frances water ways, the gang tilted their heads back up towards the road when they heard a giant metallic _click! _Looking up, they noticed what shot at them earlier, and their hearts skipped a beat in utter horror when they realized that it was following them. It was a truck, no bigger than a pick-up, and it was equipped with a giant Gatling gun and flashing mind block wiper which stunned and put to rest and civilians who witnessed it. Behind the trigger of the gung, was another one of Opal's mercenaries, and driving the truck, was another mercenary as well.

The one behind the trigger had recently just reloaded. He smiled when he noticed that some of their faces had open mouths of horror painted on them. Then, he fired upon them once more.

This time, the bullets sprayed closer to impact than the gang would've liked. In fact, the aim was so close, that as soon as Marvin ducked, a bullet skimmed across the top of his forearm, shredding the shirt and some skin as it did so. He cussed loudly and in a profane manner as he began to bleed, and Arty did so as well when he could hear one bullet, crystalline, fly across his head. The screeching was maddening. The bullet made no contact and cause Arty no harm whatsoever, but he's heart rate dramatically jumped up a couple more beats.

Then he looked up ahead. Just like Marvin before him, he released a gut wrenching, loud, and undeniable appropriate swear word for the moment. Up head, their lied a canal-like intersection, where three roads (one of the roads being the one he was on), came together into one large waterway before splitting off into two more. Coming towards him on the water ways, two more boats were drastically racing towards them. Each boat had a team of fighters who were equipped with guns, all trained upon the Fowl gang.

Realizing that there were two boats coming towards them, along with a machine-gunner fixed upon a truck following them on higher ground, Arty decided that they were, without a doubt, fucked. At that moment, the machine gunner caught the boat again. This one got even closer. One of the bullets struck the side of Arty's steering mechanism. This caused him to jump excitingly. Another bullet flew past his head, yet again. This made his panic even greater. So great, in fact, that he lost his balance.

As he fell off the ship, and as his body started to fall towards the crisp, blue, salty water, Holly stared in utter horror. Their entire life together flashed before her eyes, (partly because she was partnered with Artemis, so whatever he was experiencing, she would as well.) it was like some massive explosive headache. Images flashed by her eyes in no less than a millisecond. She witnessed their honeymoon together as they went to strange and exotic places. She saw the birth of Apollo, and holding that beautiful baby in her arms. She experienced the sensation of witnessing her parents deaths, and falling in love for a second time; even greater than the first.

But now, all that was over. Arty was a sitting duck if he fell into the water. The minute his body would make contact with the water, he might as well just paint a target on his forehead, with a note that exclaimed, "Aim here to kill." It was over. They were over. It was all falling out of their hands.

But somehow, in a miraculous way, Artemis survived. Before his body limply collided with the cool abyss of French waters, it violently slammed along the side of the boat that was coming towards them. He was whisked away by said, boat, and no Artemis was, in lack of a better term, on enemy tides.

As Holly witnessed the disappearing act, she rationally conclude that she was the only one her with the guts and the intellect to drive the boat. And so, rationally thinking on her feet, she rushed over to the throttle, slammed it down to stop the boat, and violently turned to the left, making the boat do a complete 180. It was such an aggressive turn that many almost fell off the boat. Marvin was thrown from his side of the boat, and his forehead bumped against the deck of the ship. Pain throbbed through his skull, he started to bleed. But he was going to be ok. He stood immediately back up, only to regain the common sense to duck back down in a crisis moment.

At the moment their boat began to turn around, the second boat passed by their right. On the rear of the boat, was another machine gun turret. Several bullets danced along the edge of the water side and struck the side of their speed boat, (which was now starting to resemble a piece of Swiss cheese). One of the bullets, in fact, ricocheted off the top of the water, skimmed along the air, and went right through Juliet's right hand. She groaned in agony, but only for a few second. Being a Butler, she went through worst during her training. She was indeed a tough girl. She brought the palm of her hand towards her face to observe it, and was greeted with a sight she had never witnessed before. The bullet went all the way through her hand, beginning from the back and ending at her palm, leaving a giant gaping hole. However, the bullet somehow struck no major veins or bones. She could actually look right through her hand. It was a miracle. Taking initiative as Holly began chasing after the boat which unintentionally kidnapped Artemis; she ripped off some cloth from her shirt to use as a bandage.

Then she called Mulch to her side. He immediately ran over to her like a dog obeying its owner's commands. He ducked down and brought his face to her level. His giant tombstone like teeth began to glimmer as he spoke. "Damn! You ok?" he exclaimed as he noticed her bullet wound.

"Yeah," she vaguely yet loudly replied as she began crawling around the ship. Mulch followed. "But the bad news is that I dropped my gun in the water," Juliet stated. Then she found it, the emergency kit. Inside it was an odd weapon of choice, but it was the only weapon they had at the time. "We need to take out as many machine guns as possible." She commanded as she handed Mulch the orange pistol. "The most predominate machine gun that we have to take out is the one on the back of the truck over there." She lightly waved her hand in the air towards the truck. "It's on higher ground, so it poses more of a danger. I can't fire the weapon so you'll have to."

"But you're a Butler!" Mulch screamed in utter terror as he realized the horrific reality of the situation. He couldn't do this. He never fired a weapon in his life, let alone killed a guy. Why did he have to be Juliet's first choice? "Aren't you ambidextrous or something?" He asked in a fair argument.

"Not really." Juliet hazily said.

Mulch grumbled in anger and in frustration as he realized that he would have to be the one to pull the trigger. He brought the gun up to analyze it. He was perplexed. He had never seen a gun in this particular shape and color before. He had an idea of what the gun might be, but he was entirely sure, so he asked Juliet.

"What's this?" he said.

"A flare gun!" Juliet screamed as she started applying pressure to her wound.

Mulch's eyes widened. "Are you serious?" he exclaimed.

"JUST DO IT!" she screeched in both pain and aggravation. She had it up to here with Mulch's constant rebellion. Their lives were at stake, so he had to comply and fire the weapon, _Now!_

So he did. Propping onto one knee, kneeling, he brought the sights into the view of the truck that ran along. It was hard to get the truck into his sights, being as it were, they were on a speed boat which was frantically traveling down water at a crucial top speed, but he eventually did it. And just in time to. For, as soon as he lined his sights up with the truck, the pixie behind the trigger of the machine gun, spotted him, and began to aim at his fat dwarf head.

Recognizing this, he gave forth a very loud and mighty battle cry. Well….at least….he thought it was Godly sounding. In actuality, he sounded exactly like a sissy girl; voice creaking and crackling badly like a supposed deranged banshee howl caught on terrible audiocassette. It made Juliet laugh slightly, and it made Julius wonder if it was Holly who was screaming. But then he realized that Holly's cry would've been manlier, and he continued to duck and survive the ride that they were on.

As soon as his cry seized, Mulch pulled the trigger. The flare blasted through the French air, and as soon as it made contact with the truck, it exploded. Thankfully, instead of blowing up right next to the Machine gun, which would've resulted in no damage whatsoever, the flare went right through the driver's window. When it exploded, the Pixie manning the vehicle violently turned the wheel towards the water. The truck went over the rails and support beams and started to fall drastically towards the water. It crashed with a tremendous splash and both the gunner and the driver were killed.

"YES!" Mulch exclaimed in triumphant victory. Then he continued to coward behind the ship, right next to Juliet, as the boat danced along the water's edge, towards the enemy vessel. Holly was determined to get her husband back, and no one was going to stand in her way.

But as it turned out, most of her work was cut out for her. Because while she and the rest of the gang were turning around back at the point where Artemis fell, the genius himself was quietly and secretly stepping onboard the ship.

He recognized that the two pixies on board the ship were clueless as to Artemis's presence on board. Gathering the skills which Orion had acquired from listening to Butler in the past, with cat-like stealth reflexes, he got closer and closer to the two pixies. He had finally reached his destination, when, crouched down, he stood right behind the pixie holding his technologically advanced rifle. Immediately, out of nowhere, the anxiety and the adrenaline over took him. There was no thought process, other than the planning that transpired minutes earlier as Fowl got on board the ship. He sprang up from the ground, grabbed the back of the Pixie's head, and snapped it. As soon as the bone crunching was heard, the elf driving the speed boat turned towards Fowl, and recognizing the enemy, he reached for the gun in his holster. Unfortunately for the elf, he was too slow. Fowl did a sweeping maneuver, knocking the elf off his own two feet, pushing him forward, and into the watery depths he went.

Fowl immediately reached for the steering wheel and throttle, and, unintentionally, he began to slow down.

Holly was hot on his trail, and she noticed immediately that he was piloting the boat, and was on his own. As she came up towards him, she gave off one command. Simple and clear, that command, was "JUMP!"

And he did so. For a moment, and seemed as if though time itself was slowing down. He felt everything; _everything. _He felt the wind blowing along his hair, giving the neurons in his brain a magnificent calming effect amidst the chaos. He felt the sweat pouring down his face. He smelled the salt-like qualities of the water below him. The colors everywhere were now brighter and greater in contrast than anything he could've imagined. Buildings seemed pinker and taller when shinning off the reflecting early dawn sunlight. He felt his heart racing, his muscles quaking, his fingers and eyes shaking radically, and he felt, all in all, superb.

Then, he felt his feet colliding violently with the deck of his own ship. He had made a triumphant victory. He jumped the gap, and successfully landed. But, all wasn't so well. The initial impact was so powerful, that a large _crack _was heard almost immediately, followed by the sharp, stinging pain of broken bones traveling up his spinal cord, and into his brain. He had broken not one, but both of his ankles. Crying out in pain, Julius took note and ran over the genius's side, and healed his lacerations. Just as soon as it came, it went, and Fowl was now back in action.

At that moment, gunfire rang out again. The second ship was now by Holly's left and was beginning to fire. The _ting _produced by the bullets reflecting off the side of their boat sounded louder and closer than what the Fowls were comfortable with. If things weren't crazy and ballistic before, they certainly were now. Things were getting too close for comfort. They had just evaded death twice. A third time would require an utter miracle. Things were not looking to good for the Fowl gang. It seemed as if though this would be their last adventure together.

But then, something amazing happened. Up ahead, Holy noticed a long wall which split the waterway into a T section. She was going to have to choose right or left. Recognizing the fact that she was going way too fast for a turn, she chose neither, and instead, pulled down on the throttle, causing the boat to stop suddenly, creating a tremendous splash. This said splash, made it impossible for the boat behind them, to get a good clean target off of any of the people among the Fowl boat. They passed Holly and the rest of the gang, going dangerously fast, to the point where the boat started skimming across the water; bouncing even. And, as far as Holly could observe, the mercenaries under Opal's rule on that ship were not aware of the intersection coming up towards them.

She could count off the number of times the boat bounced along the water. She could predict when they would suffer tragically. _3...2…1…._

At that moment, the boat made contact with the wall of the T intersection. Where once a ship remained, now there lied shrapnel. A giant orange fire ball engulfed the enemies on board, killing them instantly. The sound and smell was deafening. The fire ball started to dissolve, leaving nothing but black smoke, rising up into the crisp and somewhat clean air of the early morning French skies.

* * *

The entire gang watched; Artemis, Holy, Foaly, Mulch, Julius, Juliet, all of them on board; including Marvin. The sky seemed blacker than usually. The dawn had not fully arrived yet. However, the sun was going to come out to greet them; a brand new day, with a brand new slate. What lied in store, no one could tell. However, they were happy that they survived this incident. Amazingly, three times, they victoriously rose above death. Three times, their lives became like paper dolls, and death was a lighter or a match held dangerously close to their fragile paper-like souls. And three times, they were whisked away in time by the wind, ready to begin a brand new life.

There was to be a forth. And one would have to sacrifice themselves in order for the rest to live.

But that would not happen just yet.

Instead, Artemis Fowl rose from his position of the floor of the deck of the speed boat, counting heads as he did so. Everyone seemed intact. Some were bleeding; some had bruises, and most looked like they had all seen death knocking upon their door. But they had survived, and they were breathing, and they were standing up. _Good. _

After the initial shock of the events that happened moments ago began to transpire, Artemis was the first to speak. "Ok," He proclaimed in his business-like tone. "How's everybody."

"Somewhat damaged, badly scared, but fine," Foaly announced with a shaking voice of fear. His chest expanded and deflated heavily. Sweat brewed amazingly above his brow.

"Did anybody get any shots off?" Artemis asked inquisitively.

"I tried hitting the man in the truck several times, but to no avail." Julius announced as he got up from his crouching position on the ship. He tossed his gun to the side, characterizing his frustration on the matter of getting no kills. "Juliet did the same as well, but her hand got shot and she dropped her gun in the water. I'll heal that wound for you by the way." Julius told Juliet in a concerned yet military like-prose. She extended her hand out as he walked towards her. Blue sparks jumped from his hands, and the hole in her palm began to seal itself with freshly new skin. "Mulch here is the only one of us who actually got a kill." Julius proclaimed nonchalantly.

Arty's eyebrows rose up in surprise and his eyes widened with excitement. "Seriously?" he stated with a smile and a disbelieving tone of voice.

"I know, I couldn't practically believe it myself." Juliet commented as she balled up a fist on her newly healed hand.

At this point, with the adrenaline begin to cascade out of his body, Artemis was left with a strange sense of paranoia, and trusted nobody but his wife. He turned to her, and asked politely, "Honey, are they telling the truth?"

"Yep," she replied quickly with a kiss to Fowl's check. "They are telling the honest to Gods truth."

Artemis turned towards Mulch, who was now standing perfectly in the middle of the gang, and began to smile greatly. Artemis rarely ever laughed, unless he was with his wife of course. But now, he gave off a great chuckle, and his smile widened at the fact that Mulch, possibly one of the most unlikely killers of them all, saved the day.

"Nicely done Mulch," Artemis exclaimed with a smile. "What exactly did you do?"

Holding nothing back, with a fully egotistical, arrogant attitude, he exclaimed with a grin, "I shot a guy…...with a flare gun."

"…...alright," Artemis Fowl proclaimed with an ever growing grin showing more and more of his pearly lights.

Suddenly, everyone heard a noise. It was faint and small, but, rather than coming to the conclusion that something very small was very close and was making said noise, they gang soon realized that something fairly large, and fairly dangerous was coming towards them. Arty's smile quickly went away and was replaced with a serious face as he, along with the others, twitched their heads about looking for the source of the noise. It took a while, but one of them finally managed to do so. It was Foaly who did this. Being at a higher level than the rest of them since he was a centaur, he was able to see farther, and spotted what was making the noise so far out there. He groaned and cried out, "YOU'VE GOT TO BE FREAKING KIDDING ME!"

Up ahead in the distance, two more wooden boats carrying mercenaries equipped with guns were approaching. They gang was annoyed as a troll in a dungeon. This was the last and finally straw. They were tired, they were mad, but most importantly, they had enough. And yet, there was nothing that they could actually do, but just sit there and take it.

"Dammit!" Juliet exclaimed as she kicked a chair on board the ship.

"There's no way we can get out of this." Julius breathlessly imposed upon the crew. "Three is pushing it. Four is impossible."

"What are we gonna do?" Holly asked in a choking manner. Hardly ever did the former captain let her nerves get to her. But they were about to. They were dead. And there was nothing they could do, but just watch.

Then, Marvin interjected his two cents on the conversation. He busted with life as though he had been struck by lightning. In fact, many of the crew thought at first that he had been shot. But that was not the case. He had an amazing epiphany in form of a distant memory. The light bulb went off and Marvin couldn't have enjoyed it any more if he wanted to. Screaming at the top of his lungs, fisting his hair like a mad man, he ran bellowing towards the cabin of the ship, "PANAMA! PANAMA! PANAMA! PANAMA!"

As Marvin stepped inside the cabin of the ship, the gang shot themselves inquisitive looks. They could easily be described as 'what the fuck' glances. But soon, they shrugged them off, and they began to run inside the cabin as well, wondering what in the world was going on with Marvin.

They found him throwing open the cabinets furiously and stringing about pots, pans, dishes, glasses, and whatever else he could get his hands onto the floor, throwing them behind him without a care in the world, in a quick pace as well.

Artemis was awestruck. "What the hell are you doing!"

"I'm pulling a panama!" Marvin replied as he went over to the next cabinet. "It's a escape maneuver I pulled back with a buddy of mine when Opal wasn't influencing us and we were still in the drug trade."

"Were you in Panama when you tried this stunt?" Mulch asked curiously before Artemis could get another word in edgewise.

"No. We was in Bay Route, Lebanon." Marvin replied as he went about his business.

"Then, why is it called a 'Panama?'" Mulch asked inquisitively.

Marvin snapped. Turning around with eyes wide, he screamed, "BECAUSE I THOUGHT I WAS IN PANAMA!"

"Never mind that!" Artemis proclaimed as he showed Marvin one of the various items of silverware that he placed upon the floor. "What does that have to do with throwing about my precious items?"

"Well, you better get use to not having your precious items eye-brow boy," Marvin exclaimed as he took the pot from Fowl's hands, and tossed it among the rest of the items on the floor, "Because you're not going to use them any longer. The basic premise of a Panama is to….well….pan them all. You see, you take all your items from your cabinets," Marvin illustrated this by walking over to another cabin and strewing its items on the floor as well, "And you lay them really close along the edge of the wall. Then, you drive the boat towards your enemies, and while you do so, you open up the fuel silage and drop in a lighter or a cigar right next to the tubes. The thing explodes, the pans strike the passengers on the incoming boats, they die, you live if you jump in time, and everybody is happy."

"Except for the flame chard broiled bodies of your enemies," Juliet subjected with a smug grin.

"Exactly," Marvin excitedly replied. Then, he went about his business once more. Not even looking up, he began speaking. And the last part was such a shocker, that many were amazed by Marvin's determination to set up this plan right. He was not fazed at all by what flew from his mouth. "Now, the last time I did this, to ensure that neither me or my buddy would die, we placed a lit cigar in between the tubes, cut one of them open, and when the gasoline made contact with the cigar and the ship exploded, we were all ready in the water. But, seeing as how lady luck has been on our side too many times already, I doubt she would want to help us again. I don't care how much good Karma you Fowls have, four times the charm rarely works out. We cannot risk blowing this by not blowing this on the fate of a cigar. So, I'll stay behind with a lighter. I'll sacrifice myself and kill those guys."

The gang was stunned. More in particular, Artemis was stunned the most. In the small amount of time frame that Fowl had gotten to know this man, he presented himself with an egotistical attitude which Fowl disliked. He loved drugs, he loved woman, and he loved Arty's _woman _when _she _was on _his _drugs. But, after a few hours, Marvin started showing himself to being more of a gentle nature. A coward, none the less, but a gentleman coward. Now, he was going to be a straight up hero.

"Why?" Artemis exclaimed as loudly as he possibly could. "I thought you were a coward."

"I am!" Marvin replied with a grin as he turned to face Artemis. "But I take certain exceptions to the rule." Then, he began he quest of finding a lighter. "I did say that I'd rather live on my knees than die on my feet. In fact, I'd rather die peacefully in my sleep." Then he found the lighter, and brought it out to show to everybody. "But, seeing as how that's not gonna happen, I decided that if I'm going to go out,"

He flicked the lighter once. Magically, it came to life almost immediately. The orange glare danced along his face, and added a powerful impact upon the words which he spoke of next.

"I'm going to go out with a bang," he proclaimed. Then, the shut off the lighter, and began to exclaim very loudly. "Now GO! SWIM TO SHORE! GET OFF THIS SHIP! RUN! I'LL TAKE IT FROM HERE! GO!"

The gang proceeded to do just that. One by one, they ran up the steps which lead down to the cabin. The last one to travel up the steps was Artemis Fowl, who, for a brief moment, felt the twinge of regret upon his heart. For no apparent reason, he felt somewhat guilty about Marvin's upcoming death. However, while he realized he was going to lose somebody he was getting particularly close to recently, life goes on. More importantly, his life, Fowl's life, would continue on if he were to leave the ship. So, shrugging off the feelings of remorse, he followed the rest of the band of misfits up the steps. One by one, they all jumped into the water. They swam briskly and quickly toward the shore line. Life was in their wake. The sun was starting to shine. They were almost there.

* * *

Meanwhile, Marvin rose to the top of the deck and found the fuel silage which also added as a foot stool for a chair on the boat. Opening it, he found the tubes which fed the fuel from the tank into the motor. Reaching into his pocket, he required his handy-dandy pocket knife which he had acquired when he was twelve. Ironically, he remembered that when he first obtained the pocket knife, his mother had told him that it would kill him. _She was right. _He thought briefly. _Although, I don't imagine she ever thought I'd go out like this. _

He manned the vessel and stared down the other two coming towards them. They had gotten closer since the last time he was on deck. Each boat was on either side of them, on no one upon any of the boats had any idea what was about to happen. Marvin counted down the seconds, and timed it perfectly. He reached for the throttle and began to 'put the pedal to the metal'. The boat took off fast and hard. Colors seemed to blend into one giant daze.

He timed the next act perfectly as well. When his boat was in perfect alignment, he jumped away from the steering wheel, and placed the knife right next to the tube. He activated the lighter with ease. With a smile and furious roar that only a man on the edge of insanity could muster, he bellowed at the top of his longs, "adios, motherfuckers!" and then, he punctured the tube.

The ship exploded.

* * *

When the gang finally made it towards shore, the first thing that Mulch did was plopped down on his chest, and began to roll around in the grass. "LAND!" he exclaimed. "OH GLORIOUS GLOROIUS LAND! I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU SO. I LOVE YOU!"

For the first time in a long time, Holly and Artemis began to laugh; long and hard and prosperous. They deserved a good laugh after what they just been through. After all, it is said that those who laugh more live longer. Leave it to Mulch to be the comedy relief doctor of the day; rolling around the grass like some sort of mutt.

Then, Artemis and Holly looked up. They saw a crowd of people looking towards them. It was obvious that they were civilians not infected by the giant strobe memory light. They had all heard the blast from earlier where Marvin sacrificed himself for the gang. Now they were wondering who in the heck these people were. Who were these long eared, big jawed, soaking wet, well dressed people making their way from the water?

"Well, this is defiantly awkward." Holly observed.

"Indeed," Arty replied, staring at the crowd, not facing her, somewhat embarrassed. "I believe that all of these civilians will require an immediate Mesmer. If Foaly has some back up equipment back at our land base hideout, we should give these folks an immediate mind wipe."

"Certainly," Holly agreed. Then, her lips curved into a sly smile. She turned to face her husband, eye portraying naughty innocents and hips swaying seducing. "Although, we could show them something so traumatic that there will be no need for a mind wipe."

"Such as?" Fowl pursed.

"This." Holly replied. Without haste, she jumped on top of him and wrapped her legs once more around his waist. Her tongue went down his throat, and both began that battle for dominance, as they groped each other roughly.

"Oh God, not again," Juliet proclaimed as she finally made it to land.

* * *

**And there we go. Another thrilling chapter of Apollo. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I had. Sometimes, it's really hard for me to write action. I don't know if the chapters should be long or if they should be short. What did you think of this chapter? For the action paced type it was, do you think it was too long, or too short, or was it appropriate? Let me know in the review. Also, please tell me your favorite line of dialogue from this story so far. I'm thinking that this story is bound to have some comedic conversations between two characters. Seems I do well at that. Logic, I seem to have a problem with. Lol.**

**I bid you all a good day and I'll see you next time on the newest and coolest chapter of Apollo. HAVE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Stuff your face full of pie and turkey. And when you're away from the family, please stop by and read this story. **

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	19. Our Idoit Brothers

**I'M BACK! It took me awhile, but I finally got around to typing out the newest and ever so requested chapter of Apollo. I had some personal issues going on in my life that had to get sorted out. I hate to say it, but as much as I love writing Apollo and as much as I love you guys, the real world must come first. Not to mention, we had Christmas and following on the footsteps of that, we had to set up our New Year's Eve party. But all that's over now, and I can finally get to type this out. **

**Song: "Falling Away From Me," By: Korn**

"_Marriage is hard man. Marriage is so hard that Nelson Mandela got a divorce. Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in a South African prison, got beaten and tortured everyday for 27 years, and did it with no problem. The man had to do hard labor in 100 degree South African heat for 27 years, and did it with no freaking problem. He got out of jail after 27 years of torture, spent six months with his wife, and said "I CAN'T TAKE THIS SHIT!""_

_Chris Rock_

* * *

Root sat down on the very un-sturdy and old coffee table chair and casually yet slowly smoked on a newly acquired Fungus cigar. As he did this, he stared out the window in a daze of memories and grieving loss. The boat that blew up had became very close to the clone, and since it's departure, Root couldn't think of anything more than how precious that speed boat was to him. However, this did not distract him at all from collecting the data which Mulch and Foaly had acquired from Marvin's confessions. They analyzed what the fairy said contrasting the statements with maps and graphs they had obtained to see if the recently deceased was indeed telling the truth. They had a plan to follow through, and everyone agreed to do so.

Meanwhile, Artemis and Holly took shelter in one of the small backroom closets, as the couple finished up their 'roll in the hay.'

The gang now found themselves in a small windowless flat just outside the large areas of Paris, France. It was the perfect getaway/hideout for the gang to come to in case they were to experience trouble. And, seeing as how they now found themselves without a vehicle and without any of their previous technologies (aside from the few which Foaly had managed to retrieve and revive from both the wreckage), most would agree that this was the appropriate moment to head back to a base and call for 'Plan B.' The hideaway felt like it belong on the set of a Sergio Leone film rather than Paris, France. It had a distinct Italian vibe yet its entire decor simply screamed Hispanic. It's strange mixture of tan walls, pink metallic wall boarders, and green ceilings made Root remarkably wish that he was in the possession of a Poncho and a six shooter. On top of that, the ceiling fan did nothing to subtract the unbearable heat which had made its way across the small room like a virus. It wasn't because it was hot outside. The reasons for such intolerable warmth was the proximity of everyone in the room. When people become jammed packed, air becomes scarce and body heat raises room temperature drastically; especially since many of the room occupants were out of breath and tired from the events they escaped unharmed from. Nevertheless, their hideout was still their hideout, and they planned on staying there until everyone was up to speed on the next operation of their plan.

Suddenly, and out of nowhere, a terrific and powerful scream came from the couple inside the small closet, followed by several minutes of beautiful, sublime silence. Mulch palmed his forehead while Juliet sighed bitterly in annoyance and yet strangely also in relief. The couple had finally finished up their rambunctious activities and hopefully was ready to comply with the gang to go forward with the planning. Abruptly, after the numerous seconds of glorious silence, Artemis opened the closet door. Both he and Holly walked out quite dazed and waddled in a humorous manner to their lefts. Arty figure was simply priceless. Multiple buttons on his shirt had been missed and button wrongly. His tie was almost pulled apart and away from his collar. He shined and glistened with sweat which ended up pooling underneath his armpits, (apparently, the couple kept their clothes on). But His hair was the metaphorical icing on the cake. His hair looked as if some creature had torn it off his skull, chewed it up, spat it out back whole onto Arty's head.

Holly took a rickety seat next to Root and immediately noticed the glares of dissatisfaction from the room guests. Immediately, she shielded her face with her hand and avoided their critiquing stares. Artemis grabbed himself a giant bottle of water to which he chugged its entire contents before tossing the plastic away. Then he took a seat next to his wife. Unlike Holly, Arty's presence was less embarrassed and almost downright boastful. He had a cocky swagger when he sat down, that's for sure. Once he sat down, he looked up and noticed Mulch eyeing him inquisitively.

"What?" the Irish genius asked, out of breath like a preverbal fish out of water; yet somehow maintaining a sense of superiority.

"Do you usually drink that much water post-coitus?" Mulch asked with a grin and a chuckle.

Artemis replied back with an equally playful laugh. "That's for me to know and for you to never find out my friend." Artemis told him. His signature vampire-like grin followed immediately afterwards.

At this moment, Root stood up and leaned forward against the table. Slamming his fist into his other hand, he proclaimed, "Alright, let's get to work." At that moment, the rest of the gang joined in as they all stared at the piece of paper which was laid out on the table; making them look as if they were in a huddle. Once everyone was sharing their devoted attention, Root spoke. "Now, thanks to Foaly we have required a basic layout of the fortress which we will try to impenetrate soon. From what Marvin has told us, we can estimate that this particular base is not so much in the middle of nowhere as we thought. He gave us the exact latitude and longitude, and because of this, I can confidently say that Yes, while it's in the middle of the Sahara desert, the weapons must be transported by some other way than plane."

"Why?" Mulch asked.

"It's impossible to land on soft ground." Root replied. "Besides that, one small wind turbine or helicopter blade gone wrong would cause a colossal shit storm of both damage and discomfort. So," Root continued, dragging his pin along the map until he came along a line of railroad tracks, "the weapons and other necessities are supplied by train." He smiled accordingly as he looked at how the tracks made their job so much easier.

"From what Marvin told us," Mulch continued on from where his partner left off. "The train is departs from a little town south of the Algerian border, known as Arlit. It takes about 2 days to arrive to the base so when it does, they take extreme caution and care in handling the equipment."

"Why so?" Juliet asked. "This isn't like Opal's usually insane nature. I mean, from what I've known about her, it's that she is fairly impatient. 2 days is a long wait for anything."

"Yes," Root agreed slightly nodding his head. "However," he conjectured. "One must look at the materials that are being transport off the train and realize their value. bombs, high powered assault rifles, vat tanks and chemical concoctions for her experiments on the hybrids; I mean, in a place like the Sahara where wind and heat strike you as deadly, great care must come in great quantities, and so, patience this time is key for our evil spoiled queen."

"We know all of this already." Foaly grumbled without reserve. "I'm not trying to be a jack-ass here, but what's the exact reason for conducting this meeting?"

Seeing as how his audience was ready to commence, Root backed away from his paper and smiled. "So it looks like we are all on the same page," Root replied with a hit of his fungus cigar, "Now it's time to discuss the next part of the operation."

"Which is?" Juliet asked casually.

"How shall we break in?" Mulch asked with a naughty grin. This was always his favorite part of the operation. Planning was all well and good, but for Mulch, the execution was what he took pride in.

Artemis and the rest of the gang pondered this for a moment. It was a simple question to answer yet there were so many tiny minute details to consider. Staring at the map for a long time, Artemis realized that his extraordinary intellect would have some factoring to do. He back away and began to let his psyche take control and assess the situation. Thinking had almost become therapeutic to the genius. It was true mediation at its finest. Meanwhile, his best friend's and his wife discussed the matter over like regular civilized beings.

Juliet was the first to give her two cents. "I say we just knock down the front door." She said with a beam. Her next statements she practically shouted; her action-seeking thrill-pursier side taking over. "Ring the door bell; let them know the dinner guests have arrived."

"Bad Idea," Root pointed out. Bringing his pen across the map, he circled 4 circular objects that surrounded the base like a square. "See these guard towers here, here, and here. They have personal on them 24/7, and those not on watch tower duties are either inside the base patrolling the corridors over and over again, or, they are outside catering the fence. Running in guns blazing would just be suicide."

"Not with Kevlar," Juliet shrugged.

"It's not only human technology they possess," Foaly whined. "Think about this, Martin was a weapon's manufacture for the L.E.P.! they would certainly have some type of device to break through your wimpy human Kevlar."

"So I guess that rules out taking them broke, blind, and bedlam." Juliet said with a disappointed growl. "So it looks like we are gonna have to go with the cautious and secrete entrance right?"

"That's a bad idea as well," Mulch made known. "Note the guard towers we just pointed out earlier."

"Well what then?" Juliet answered with a sigh and a groan. "If we can't kick some ass, or sneak about, what other options are left?"

The gears in Arty's brain were working overtime during all of this. He was taking mental notes and math calculations the entire time the discussion took place. When Juliet proclaimed her short tantrum, the light bulb finally clicked. It would've happened sooner, but one must take into account the inactivity and slow nature of a post coitus brain. Opening his eyes and parting his lips, he stated the obvious conclusion.

"What if we went in under cover?" Artemis announced. "I mean, it wouldn't be difficult for Foaly and I to come up with fake pseudonyms and disguises. We could walk right under her nose and not even be spotted. And, with the added bonus of Holly, Mulch, and Juliet by our side, we can easily have some muscle if the tide takes a turn for the worst."

"Where does that leave me?" Foaly asked curiously.

"You'll be a figurative 'eyes in the sky,' so to speak." Artemis announced. "The war may be close to becoming virtually dissolved but that doesn't necessitate upon the fact that Africa is still a war zone. There's bound to be a droid plane hovering about along the sky at the time. With your hacking skill Foaly, you can easily pilot the ship and keep eyes on both Opal and her guards at all times while we try to enter the building."

"What happens once we get inside?" Root accounted for.

"We perform Juliet's favorite part of any mission," Arty stated with a grin. "If I may be so bold and part my ways from my highly regarded vocabulary, once we get inside, it would be time for us to 'tear shit up'!"

There was a brief moment of silence that followed Artemis's speech. It was simply a time of taking into account what had just been said. The more their brain's analyzed the plan that Artemis spewed forth, the more it made since. Root, noticing this, stood up and clapped slowly.

With the cigar in his mouth, muffling his speech, he told the Irish man, "You see, this is why we come to you."

"You asked for a genius and behold," Artemis exclaimed as he took a silly and exaggerated bow, "Ask, and you shall receive."

"How fitting noting that moments ago, you were proclaiming your alliance to such a faith," Mulch chuckled with a snarky grin.

Arty's brows furrowed in a irritated manner. "Will you please shut up about that? It was a moment of weakness."

Out of the blue, a melodic and electronic noise sank into the eardrums of the guest taking shelter in their base. Automatically, everyone recognized that the tone belong to a cell phone. As for the couple, they automatically recognized that it was _their _cell phone. More importantly, Artemis realized it was his. Pulling the device out of his pocket, (and wondering how in the world the cell phone survived the tryst within the water), Artemis stared at the screen. His facial expressions flipped from somewhat amazed, to amazingly confused and stunned.

"What is it?" Holly asked inquiringly. "Who's calling?"

"My brother," Artemis breathed out almost bewildered. Taking no more time in taking in the situation, Artemis flipped his cell phone open, and answered the call.

"This is Artemis Fowl the 2nd speaking," he proclaimed in his self-righteous attitude. (Arty rarely answered his phone by saying, 'Hello.' He found the word to be a little too plebeian and forceful).

"Hey man, it's your brother," Becket answered.

Never being able to tell the difference between the twin's voices due to their uncanny likeness, Artemis asked, "which one; the burnt out, druggie, failed writer brother, or the defendant of the other brother?'"

Becket laughed on the imposing end. "Always the egotistical jokester with an amazing intellect," He said with present nostalgia. "You haven't changed a bit. And I wouldn't necessarily call Myles a failure anymore. He's now a writer for the Rolling Stone, and is currently working on his first article for the magazine."

"Well," Artemis began smiling, impressed that Myles finally made something of himself and the Fowl Empire, "Send the boy my regards."

"Well, we was hoping you could do that yourself," Becket stated. "You see, we are at your house."

It was as if though time slowed down and things began to stretch out before him. A pin drop could've been heard a mile away. The gravity of the situation struck him, and he was horrified, terrified, and simply petrified by the news he had just received. His eyes instantaneously widen and almost turned pure white. A cold sweat broke out along the back of his neck and forehead. He began to shiver. However, in the midst of the crisis he was informed about, he didn't lose his composer, minus the jittering of his words.

"…..wh-wh-what did you just say?" Artemis asked nervously.

"We are at your house."

Before Becket could even finish the sentence on the other end, Arty slammed his phone shut and palmed his forehead. Disappointment came drastically, and was released in a sigh without reserve.

"What's wrong," Holly asked her husband curiously.

"It seems as though my brothers paid a visit," Artemis informed her.

When receiving this news, Holly felt the tingle crawl down her back as well. However, just like her husband, this did not distain her from asking questions and receiving information on the manner.

"Which ones," Holly replied, realizing the difference magnitude depending on the brother. "Is it the druggy failed writer, or the lawyer of said druggy failed writer?"

"Both of them," Artemis replied.

Holly sighed in an equal and impressively more disappointed sigh. Regarding the company around her, she politely addressed them by stating, "I'm very sorry, but me and Arty need to return home. This mission for now shall be put on hold till we return."

Inside her head, Juliet basically screamed in oblivion and in anger. She was up-righteously pissed.

Meanwhile, Artemis walked after his wife who had recently made it out the door. But before he could yank the door open, Juliet's hand clasped his own on the handle.

She stared at the Irish man for a long time. Her eyes beamed a dreadful gleam as if though she was staring into the genius's soul. "What do you think you're doing?" she said.

"I have to go home," Artemis told her. "My brother's are highly influential and unfortunately, they are bad influences. Me and Holly have to put a stop to this right now."

Leaning towards the smug man's face, she whispered harshly, "Are you insane! Thanks to your plan, Opal is practically serving herself on a silver platter. We need you!"

"I'll be back," Artemis said reassuringly, raising his hands to block the woman from his space and keep her at bay, "You'll just have to wait for a while, that's all."

"No," she virtually shouted in his face. "No, no, no, no. I've waited too long to have my revenge on Opal. SHE KILLED MY BROTHER ARTEMIS! SHE KILLED HIM!"

"That's not true, and you know that," the former child prodigy told her. "As far as you and I know, Domovoi made it out of the explosion alright. More than likely, he's either missing or just quit the game entirely and decided to go off the grid."

"Bullshit!" she gnarled and gnashed her teeth at him. "My brother is dead, and it's all because of her! You didn't see what I saw, and I saw a body burning!"

"That could've been anybody!" Artemis stated ecstatically angry. "For all we know it was just some pour lab guard that didn't know his place that day. The body was too burnt to grab a DNA sample from and too disfigured to prove its identity."

"IT WAS MY BROTHER DAMN IT!" she screamed, face glowing red and eyes growing mad.

From the back, Mulch raised his hand and added his contribution to the conversation. "I'm not so much worried about the revenge aspect as I am about this whole Apollo situation." Mulch told Artemis clearly and with no regard for preservation whatsoever. "Now, when you do get home to Apollo, what are you going to do then? Are you suggesting that we take the kid along with us? DO YOU REALIZE HOW AWFUL THAT IS TO THE PLAN? You're contradicting your earlier actions! You've gone out of your head!"

"I'm not taking Apollo with us to Africa!" Artemis replied back to Mulch. "Do you think I've lost my head?"

Juliet opened her mouth.

"Don't answer that," Fowl told her. Looking back at Mulch, he told the dwarf everything he needed to know. "Once we get home, we will take Apollo to France and he will hide out here with you."

"ME!" Mulch shouted without reserve. Pointing at Foaly, he exclaimed, "What about him?"

"We need his technical vision to advise us once we make it out in the desert." Artemis said. "The more I think about it Mulch, the more I realize that you might be a bad factor for our undercover mission. You would clearly be the more recognizable one besides Holly and me. I don't believe Opal has ever seen Juliet before and it's certainly been too long for a demented and troubled girl like Opal to recognize Julius. Besides, it would be better to have you hear with Apollo, because every minute that you have him is every minute that Opal doesn't have him, which tell us we are winning."

"But we won't win anything if you throw it all away!" Juliet screeched.

"I'm not throwing away anything," Artemis stated with a strong since of justice upon his side. "This is just a minor hiccup. I can't stay here long," Artemis mumbled as he peaked through the door, "I believe that my wife is practically at the street corner." Then, losing the mumbling tone, he raised said tone to one of authority and commanding prowess. "In the meantime, I'm asking you to please stay calm, please regard your new positions in this new plan," then he turned to Juliet, "AND PLEASE BE PATIENT!" knowing that there was nothing more to say, Artemis stepped outside and slammed the door behind him. And that was that.

There was a pause as the woman, the clone, the dwarf, and the centaur stared at the door which Artemis walked through. With the exception of Foaly, everyone's facial expression could easily be summed up with one word; disgusted. Juliet was plainly outraged at everything she just witnessed and was told. There was more to consider than an unplanned family reunion. The world was at stake. Placing her hands and her hips and turning around to face the remainders, Juliet grumbled, groan, moaned, and growled without reserve. She was pissed.

"anyone else want to tell the bastard to fuck off and let us take care of our own shit?" Juliet asked the crowd.

There was no hesitation amongst the people once these words were spoken. "Normally, I'd tell you to respect your employer and just keep to the plan that he's presented," Julius groused as he fumbled the cigar between his fingers. "But, seeing as how I've worked too hard and too long for this mission to side step one bit, I say we raise our metaphorical middle fingers in the air and wave them high."

"I agree," Mulch stated as he slammed his hands on the table. (This was the second moment that Mulch and Julius ever actually agreed on something). "Look, a flight to Algeria is about 4 to 6 hours. Catching the train and latching onto it secretively may possibly take 2 hours. The actual plane I have no clue as to how long it would take to pull it off, but I can tell you this. In no less than 8 hours, we caught and rode a train towards Opal. We could practically finish an almost 2 year mission within a day and I'm not going to let an opportunity like this pass itself up."

"Umm….I got a question?" Foaly asked raising his hand.

Angry and in the moment, the crowd snapped their heads towards the centaur and exclaimed together in unison, "WHAT!" fairly angrily.

Foaly jumped just a bit by this rough reaction. Then, shaking it off, he continued with the point he was trying to address. "Now, seeing as how Fowl is gone, if you want to pull this off, your disguises and your technical counseling must come from me, correct?"

"Yes," Juliet said.

"Well, what makes you think I'll go?" Foaly told them.

All at once, they drew there weapon's open him and aimed down their sights.

"You're right, I'm going with you." Foaly replied immediately.

Juliet laughed in triumph, and placed the gun back into its holster; spinning it like a cowboy while she did it. "Pack your bags boys," she exclaimed happily. "Looks like we are going to Africa."

* * *

**DUN, DUN, DUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNN! It looks as if though Juliet has had enough of waiting and is itching for some action. Will the gang turn out ok, is Apollo fine, and why did Becket call in the first place? The answer to that question and more will be answered within the following chapters. Please tell your friend's about this story and share it as much as possible. It is currently 12:35 pm as I type this and I hope you all are relieved from the wait and I hope this chapter can somewhat make up for my absence. Thanks for the support and love. More to come. **

**PLEASE REVIEW! **


	20. Rock & Roll all night, Party everyday

**Hey Guys. Yes I know, it's been a long time since the last update. I usually try to update it once every month, but February is usually when all the crazy shit happens in my school. Same thing goes for this year, yet again. I had court warming to attend to, along with several video contests that I was entered in (got 5****th**** place out of eleven school FYI),and so much homework up the wazoo it made me want to light myself on fire. Not to mention, basketball is almost over, so the coaching and practices get more intense as time goes on. But, I have finally found time to type out the newest chapter of Apollo. Fair warning, I had some writer's block here and there, so some of it might not make since. I'll try to straighten it out as much as I can. **

**Song: "Beats Workin," By: Van Halen.**

"_My brother, for lack of a better term, is a prodigy. You see, if you smoke pot in school, you become expelled. However, if you make pot into a non-fat, creamy, sandwich spread, you become an honor student."_

_Christopher Titus._

"Hello?" Beckett proclaimed into thin air as he held the cell phone up to his ear. Nothing but silence came forth from the other end. Just at that instance, Beckett was greeted with the dial tone. Being hesitant as always, Becket proclaimed one again, "H-Hello," before the connection in his brain finally clicked. His older brother had just hung up on him. While he placed the cell phone away with disappointed sigh, in all honesty, he wasn't surprised that Artemis would react in such a way. After all, he had become accustomed to sometimes disappointing his brother ever since his and Myles's freshman year of college. Brotherly love is eternal, but tolerance can go only as far as one can throw the other.

After placing the cell phone in his pocket he, he turned towards the guests who were patiently lounging upon the couch of the living room. Grub and Trouble seemed the least interested out of the three, for it was not _their _brother who would be arriving. Myles had woken up from his drug filled daze moments ago. He was still crashing, but he had no arrived at the precipice were normality was starting to occur. That didn't change the fact that he was somewhat paranoid when he stood up from the couch and asked his brother "So, what's up?"

Beckett gave forth a somber reply. "He hung up before I can get a reply." Beckett said. "In my estimate, I assume that he will arrive by tomorrow morning."

Myles sighed with relief and produced a smile. "Good," he stated as he sat back down on the couch. "That's very good."

Trouble and Grub were taking in the scene with squinted eyes and cocked eyebrows. This was a very strange moment for them. This was not how the brothers were the last time they saw them. They were not the two young, mischief 13 year old boys that pulled pranks on their older newlywed brother. In the short period of approximately seven years, the boys had changed drastically.

"I don't get it," Trouble announced as he looked upon the brothers.

Both Myles and Beckett simultaneously turned their heads. "Don't get what?" they asked.

Trouble smiled for the briefest amount of time before he reclaimed his inquisitive nature as he studied upon the situation. "You guys went from small, young, not necessarily innocent but you weren't heathens either; teenage boys, to grown up, paranoid, drugged out adults. What in Frond's name happened?"

Myles smiled in remembrance as he presented his point of view. As he spoke, he also hoped that whatever he said provided a clear and direct messaged to Trouble to answer his question of _what the heck happened. _"Freshman year of college," Myles replied. Beckett, who sat behind him on a recliner, hummed in approval. After Myles confirmed his brother's acknowledgement, he returned to giving forth his speech. "You see, what happens is, you join your first party and beer is being served. Turns out, you like beer. You don't drink too much of it; you just kick back and relax on the weekends with said beer. Then, at another party someone offer's you pot. You like pot, but the cool thing is its non-habit forming. So, just like beer, you only smoke on the weekends."

"How does this coincide with LSD and a briefcase filled with narcotics?" Grub asked curiously.

"Myles hit the big time with his Rolling Stone offer," Beckett proclaimed as he stood up from the chair and patted his brother on the shoulder. "We decided to party. Hell, we already got what we wanted in life; we are just going to live each day like it was our last until it's time to crack down and get to work."

"And when does that time arrive?" Trouble asked.

"Soon, very soon," Myles exclaimed with an almost nervous tone. Then, with another smile, he reached for the case behind him, and placed it on the coffee table in front of the fairies. He was somewhat troubled by the fact that the suitcase felt rather light. But he tossed that thought aside and focused and finishing his sentence. "Which is why we took as many drugs as possible before we got here."

He opened the case peaked his head inside. Hoping to be greeted with another bag of weed to smoke to end the day on a good note…..sadly, he was greeted with one small baggie of some drug which he did not recognize. His face broke in awe as he stared into the vast emptiness of the suitcase. As Beckett, Grub, and Trouble looked inside, they were shocked as well.

"Maybe we took a little bit too much." Myles said to himself in a mumble.

"Jesus dude," Beckett proclaimed as he took forth the one baggie of the unknown drugs and pulled it into view. "Did we really clear out that entire suitcase?"

"What's that?"Trouble asked pointing at the strange baggie.

Myles took hold of the baggie which Beckett held and brought it to his eyes. "It appears to be 4 grams of shrooms."

"Seriously?" Beckett exclaimed with frustration at himself and his brother. "Only 4 grams. My God, we must have been totally gonzo."

"You guys have shrooms?" Trouble announced as he took the bag from their hands immediately. He appeared to be somewhat happy. Grub himself, gave forth a face palm and mumble out an incoherent gripe.

"What's up with you?" Beckett asked strangely profound by the fairies sudden change of emotion.

"My Gods," Trouble announced as opened the baggie and inhaled the scent. "I haven't had one of these since high school."

This time, it was the brothers who were amazed. "You guys have had shrooms."

Grub wanted to clarify as soon as possible. "He has, not me," the younger brother announced as he pointed towards his older one, whose smile had grown ten miles wide.

"Fairies can't take normal human drugs," Trouble explained. "Our bodies wouldn't be able to take it and we would lose our rights to our magic. However, if the drug grows naturally upon the earth-"

"-Like Shrooms." Myles proclaimed with a smile.

"Then we can take as much as we want without causing harm to our system." Trouble finished. "We even have old fairy tales of certain fairies who went upon the surface during a full moon and experienced these drugs while performing the ritual. Not to get too graphic, the boys and girls had a hell of a lot of fun." Then, with his thumb, he pointed towards his brother who stared upon him with a disappointed furrow in his brows. "Old puss cake over here won't try any."

"I think I can go throw life without a crutch," Grub explained.

Then, Myles experienced a vivid epiphany and the light bulb automatically went off in his head. "What about now?"

Both fairy brothers looked up with gapped jaws and asked somewhat amazed, "What?"

Slowly, but surly, Beckett was starting to comprehend Myles's idea. "Yeah…..hey yeah that's great." Beckett announced as his smile grew in proportions with Myles's own. He sat down in front of the fairies, and gave forth his view on Myles's idea. "We got 4 grams, and 4 people, counting all of us. One gram each; that shouldn't hurt anybody," then he turned his head and addressed Grub personally. "At most, you'll see some flying saucers and you won't end up pissing yourself."

Trouble, who was starting to get a mischievous grin, turned to his brother and proclaimed, "Well…."

Grub was caught in a pickle. On one hand, he made a promise, years ago, to never, ever, do any drugs. But on the other hand, he was positively certain that one gram shouldn't cause any harm to him; being that it was shrooms and not some drug that would damage his magic. On top of that, everyone in the room was giving him the distinct stare, hoping and pleading for him to at least try.

It's no wonder that Grub grumbled, "peer pressure blows," as he plopped a shroom into his mouth.

* * *

**Meanwhile, at the Paris International airport. **

"You know," Juliet proclaimed to Mulch in an almost nonexistent whisper, "You'd think that city as big as Paris would have better airport security."

"Thank God they don't," Mulch replied back. "And, although I don't want pony boy to get an even bigger head, his disguises deserve some credit."

"My many regards," Mulch heard Foaly reply into his earpiece.

The gang at this point was stalking around the Paris international airport. Why you may ask? Well, once Julius and the others arrived and checked their flight listings, they were doomed and dreaded to find that all flights to Africa had been delayed for some unknown reason. At the time, Juliet was unsure why, but she felt an odd feeling of oncoming danger. But she shook it off, for she, as well as the others, had a mission to accomplish.

Thanks to the disguises they wore, the public at the international airport were none the wiser to know exactly what their purpose was to why they should want to go to Africa. The great thing about Foaly's disguises was that they would automatically adapt to whatever situation they need. Much like a halogram, the disguise itself shielded of their real selves to those they wish not to know their true identity. When standing in line at the airport terminal, they appeared to resemble a small family; Juliet being the mother, Julius the father, and Mulch the annoying teenage brat. At this moment, their halo-flage suits made them look like any ordinary baggage handlers. Foaly himself was the mastermind behind the scenes, taking shelter in an abandon hanger just a few clicks outside the gang's current position. It wasn't easy convincing the old hermit to live there to let Foaly set up his equipment, but as Juliet stated in the past, "a good ass kicking can solve just about anything."

The hermit was knocked out unconscious on the floor and wouldn't retrieve consciousness in the next few hours; leave the gang a small window of opportunity to get in and get out. There was also a sub-window inside that same window of opportunity. You see, the main reason that the gang was prowling around the airport grounds was due to the fact that since all registered flights were canceled, they would just have to make a flight all on their own. They had not come this far to give up now. Knowing that the airport grounds had to be filled with private airplanes no longer being occupied, the group decided, much to Foaly's will, to simply 'borrow,' a private jet for their use.

Even though the aid of their fancy disguises aided them very much on this quest, it certainly was no walk in the park. The group decided to go full on stealth mode as they patrolled the runways, less they be discovered and had to come up with quick and believable excuse. Foaly, equipped with radar, would warn them about oncoming personnel from time to time.

"Ok, now just up ahead, you have a group of three people heading your way," Foaly announced over his headset.

The gang took shelter behind one of the many conveyer trucks as they waited for the people to pass. Once they did and the light from one of the planes past by them, they took off once more and trudged around the grounds, looking for that perfect plane. It was nighttime and like most organisms, their bodies required sleep. Feeling tired and almost wasted from the amount of energy they were using by hiding and thinking and hiding and thinking, the prevailing mood at the time was what many would consider _grumpy. _However, that did not stop Mulch from coming up with a conversation; hoping to lighten the mood.

"So what kind of plane are we looking for?" Mulch asked Juliet, almost out of breath.

"Something sleek and small, spacey yet compact, and mostly something high in the rankings of stealth," Juliet described.

"Can I add something to that list?" Mulch shouted out as his stomach gave forth a fearsome growl.

Juliet sighed in disappointment, yet laughed knowing Mulch's nature. "Bathroom?"

"Yes!" Mulch proclaimed as his stomach gave forth another powerful grumble. "My Gods, if we don't find a bathroom soon, I'm gonna be like the hulk just ripping out the back of my pants."

Suddenly, Mulch was forced to stop when root steeped dead in his tracks in front of him. After slamming into the back of the previous general, Root gave forth a chuckle and stated, "Well, no need to shit yourself Mulch." Then, moving to the side, Root exclaimed happily, "Behold."

Juliet could've sworn that she heard her jaw drop when Root stepped aside to reveal the plane. It was simply perfect. It was something of a cross between Lear jet and a fighter plane. Small, powerful, nearly undetectable by radar, and yet, with its posh look, sleek exterior design, and its room appearance, there would be no feelings of claustrophobia while piloting the plane.

"Marvelous," Juliet uttered.

"Beautiful," Julius admired.

Mulch took off like a spreading bullet towards the plane, screaming in a thin speech, "Oh man, it's coming up! Oh shit! It's starting to play peekaboo!"

His halogram figure of himself began to dissolve; feeling as if though there was nothing left to hide and or fear. Once he reached the plane, he was dismayed to find that it was locked. Wondering what could be holding the door at bay, he fumbled around in the dark until he saw the cause of his troubles. The door was chained shut.

"Drats," Mulch said aloud. "The damn things locked."

Root began to stroke his chin as he took assessment of the situation. Noting that the original key was probably nowhere close by, Root concluded, "Its looks like we are gonna have to bust the lock." Then, turning to Juliet, he asked, "Can you search the grounds for a blunt object?"

Suddenly, from within the dark, of voice proclaimed, "Something like this?"

Juliet, being in the bodyguard business, feared no evil and saw no evil. She was never disturbed nor disgusted by what she had to do to protector her employer at times. However, being a human being, she did have her preferences. One of these preferences was to never use a bat again. Not because she had a thing against bashing skulls, she just concluded long ago that there is nothing more sickening than the sound of a wooden bat bashing someone's brains in. It was even more terrible to see it done right in front of you.

Unfortunately for her, that's exactly what happened right in front of her when the figure emerged from the dark, bat in hand, beating and assaulting Julius with brutal force. He didn't even have time to react to the noise before he was knocked unconscious. As soon as Juliet pulled her gun from the holster at her side, dropping her disguise, a fleet of strange, small, dark minions, emerged right behind the first one, and attacked Juliet as well. She was forced onto the ground and bounded with rope and duck tape before one of the strange figures (which Juliet automatically identified as pixies and elves) took the end of his bat and struck her in the back of the skull, sending her lights out.

Mulch's cause for unconsciousness was no more graceful. In fact, it was even more embarrassing. Falling off the stairs leading up to the plane, due to loss of balance, Mulch collided with the ground bellow, and was knocked out cold. Unfortunately for Mulch, while his brain became inactive, his bowls were still running at full speed and the poor dwarf soiled himself.

* * *

***the next morning, at Fowl manor.***

Apollo woke from his slumber very slowly and grumbled somewhat at the way the bright light from the window's crashed against his eyes. But as he took in the scene the fell before him, he grew the greatest sensation he had ever felt in his teenage life. In the light of the window, Apollo beheld the warm and comforting figure of a girl in front of him. He knew full and well that Melinda wouldn't try to have a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship with him. That still, however, did not diminish the strange feeling of love that burst within his stomach and crawled its way into ever nerve in his veins. He grew even more excited and happy, when he realized that during his sleep, his hands somehow wrapped themselves around her waist.

At this moment, Melinda opened her eyes as well and turned around to face Apollo, much to his astonishment. It appeared that she didn't mind his hands on her waist at all. In fact, she was smiling and laughing at the way Apollo looked as though he was going to faint.

"It's ok kid," she said in almost a whisper. "You can keep your hands right where they're at." then, chuckling, she proclaimed, "Just don't try anything stupid."

Apollo gave off a smug grin that had to have been genetic, as he told Melinda back, "I'm a hormonally raging teenage boy. I can't be responsible for everything I might do."

With a smile, she stated, "you can't use that excuse forever, playa."

Suddenly, at that moment, a loud banging sound emitted itself throughout the house. The cause of said noise was unknown, but it certainly caused both Apollo and Melinda to jump up from the sheets. Melinda, being a little more worrisome than Apollo, stated, "What was that?"

Downstairs, Apollo heard the many rambunctious noises; feet clattering, vases breaking. But the most notorious sound was the sound of feet rushing up the stairs. Both Melinda's and Apollo's heart rate rose up to life threatening beats. Melinda ran over to the nightstand and grabbed her gun. She positioned herself in preparation for this unknown attacker.

Thank god, there was no attacker. The feet that ran up the stairs belonged to only Myles. He sweated profusely and breathed heavily. With eyes wide with terror, Myles proclaimed softly, "we got a problem."

Meanwhile, downstairs, Grub's awakening was so much less blissful than Apollo's. His head thumped with a tremendous pulse. In retrospect, Grub would say this was the second worst headache of his life. Each heartbeat felt like a sledge hammer striking the inside of his skull. He rose up slowly from the ground. He caught a glimpse of Myles's feet as he rushed up the stairs. Still suffering just a bit from the shrooms her partook in last night, when whoever started striking the door, Grub was filled immensely with paranoia. Then, out of nowhere the phone started ringing. Now fully standing on his feet, Grub started shaking in fear. He dare not answered the phone. After the phone stopped ringing, and the voicemail sounded, Grub didn't know if what he heard next was real, or imaginary.

"Guys!" Foaly exclaimed over the phone. "Something happened. Something Terrible. I can't even describe…you gotta help us! WHERE ARE YOU?"

As if on cue, the main door flew open. Stepping into view, much to Grub's horror, was Holly and Artemis.

The Irish genius's jaw was slack. He was awestruck and grief-stricken at the sight of his beloved home, almost obliterated and destroyed. He noticed the shards of glass along the floor, the tire marks from where the car was inside the manor. But the icing on the cake was the main living room. The couch had been turned over on its side. Various chairs were covered in food and unknown liquids. Grub stood before them, bewildered and…..apparently naked.

All these images, combined with Arty's utter hatred for his twin brothers' lifestyle choices, caused the man to snap. Screaming at the top of his lungs, he exclaimed. "_MYLES! BECKETT! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU GUYS DO!"_

**And there you have it. I'm sorry to say I couldn't get his updated last month, but I hope this is quick enough. Hey, what better way to start off March? As I sit here in my hotel room in Burbank California, I realize there's a couple of people I gotta thank. First off, I'd like to thank BeckettSimpleton. You gave me hope in certain times of literary struggle and you've been a great contact to the outside world at times when I had to crack down on my writing. I'd also like to thank, novajanto. For obvious reasons, because he's my beta reader. YOU ROCK DUDE! **

**Lastly, I only ask you, my readers, to do me a huge favor. Please like, please share, but most importantly, PLEASE REVIEW! **


	21. And so it begins

**Jesus. It seems that every time I want to get to typing these, the date I actually get down to it becomes later, and later. I swear to god, school is trying to kill me. We are released May 11****th**** for summer break so for the last full week of April, we have these things called E.O.C's. basically, they are huge tests compiled with everything we've learned all year round, and count for 25% of our graduating grade. So if you're in the D's. and haven't studied, you're fucked. Luckily for me, I have all A's. *except for 2 B's (algebra and Spanish)* **

**But no matter. Seeing as how I'm FINALLY in the vicinity of a computer, I am ready to give you all, the next chapter in the exciting saga known as **_**Apollo**_

**Enjoy! **

**Song: "Climbing up the Walls." Artist: Radiohead.**

"_There are no atheists in foxholes"_

_Unknown _

To say that Myles and Beckett received a strict talking to would be a gross understatement of Artemis Fowl's power with words. He had the ability to turn the English language into a beautiful street fight (as well many other languages). Such is the case as when the Irish lad informed his two younger twin brothers about the dire consequences of their actions. Had they not known that Apollo was just a few steps away from walking down stairs and seeing his uncles tripping balls? Did they not realize that such an instance would create further family tension and horrible first impressions? Taking Apollo into a giant cataclysmic event involving a Pixie's domination of the world was pushing the envelope as it was. Now, the teenager would've had to process the information that his two biological uncles were giant losers of the third degree. College Junkies. Nothing more, nothing less. Hipsters even, if Artemis were to have lost his demeanor. (But then again, Apollo was a big elitist bullshitter already. Maybe he and his uncles would've gotten along way better than Artemis would've attended for. That was not good either. In fact, it was worst).

Luckily for the family, Myles and Beckett were still overcoming their recent awakenings. A long night of partying can lead to a long adjustment period of the brain due morning. It took a while for their brains to kick on. And by that time, the screaming had died down, and Artemis had refrained from using anymore words that could've caused an amazing amount of damage to the family social structure. Myles and Beckett could however, pick out key words; Words such as, "losers," "Junkies," "Fuckheads," "The hell were you thinking leaving Apollo upstairs alone?" "Did you not realize that shrooms damage BRAIN TISSUE?" "And _you;_ Grub and Trouble, you are literally _generations older_ than my younger brothers! You should know better!" words like that.

But fortunately for them, they were too tired to truly give a rats ass about what Artemis had told them. Still however, they showed enough respect to apologize, and promise that it wouldn't happen again.

"We made a truly honest mistake, and we are deeply sorry for it," Myles told Artemis. "It will never happen again, I swear."

"Are you sure," Artemis asked with conviction; eyebrows rising along with his voice at the end of the sentence. "Because you cannot lie to me Myles. I know you two, and I also know that you have made it a habit to not always follow through with your promises."

"Dude, like literally, scientifically, it can't happen again." Beckett exclaimed as he grabbed the briefcase that was once so heavily full. He shook it, noting that nothing was flying out from within it. "We are all out of drugs. There's no possible way we can get high again."

Artemis brought a finger up to his chin, thinking about what his brothers had just explained to him. Yes it was true; no more drugs=no more highs. Still however, there were substitutes.

Turning to his wife, he asked Holly politely, "fine all the markers in the house, confiscate them, and throw them away."

Holly nodded, fully understanding the reason for such an action. She turned from her husband and made due with her work.

"Besides, we have an article for the Rolling Stone to cover. I'm pretty sure this is something that can't be accomplished while stoned out of our minds." Beckett continued.

Myles gave an angered sigh under his breath, and retorted quietly, "Hunter S. Thompson did it."

"Yeah, and you're not Hunter S. Thompson!" Beckett shouted, hating the fact that such an age old argument they experienced during their college years was now rekindled.

"But I want to be," Myles pleaded like a poor beggar.

"Then do it with a clear conscious."

"I want to _expand _my conscious!"

"Read a damn book then."

"I read more than you."

"Yeah, more fiction."

"Shut up."

"No you shut up."

"fuck off-"

"HEY!" Artemis exploded like Mount Vesuvius. With the brothers now fully awake, they quivered in fear at the power of their brother, such as it was demanded from them, when in the presence of true tide changer, such as Artemis Fowl the 2nd.

The Irish genius brought his hand towards his face and pinched the bridge of his nose, as he let out a tension filled sigh. Then, gathering control of his emotions once more, he spoke softly and clearly.

"Look, the both of you need to drop this now. Beckett is right Myles; you are not Hunter S. Thompson nor will ever be. But that does not mean you can't aspire to be just like him. And I fully know that you believe drugs will be the only way. But you need to find other alternatives. For there is no doubt in my mind that drugs have created some good things in the artistic community, but it has also lead to the downfall and tragically early deaths of many true game changers. So please, for the family, for your nephew, lay of the smack Myles. And Beckett, if you ever put your brother down like that again, I will kick your ass. Believe it or not, it is actually better for a man to get lost in a fantasy world from time to time. Novels, whether fictional or no-fictional, serve a purpose in making a person more literally, and greater in knowledge. Fiction is the art of creating a world, a landscape, a setting of unimaginable proportions, with characters so life-like that they can make you let your guard down, and believe for just a fraction of a second, to go along for the ride. Myles has to learn to keep readers constantly interested in his writing if he ever wants to become a famous journalist, and there is no doubt in my mind that fiction would be the perfect source to begin such research into keeping an audience's mind a hold."

A silence had fallen amongst them. Artemis, amazingly, had brought peace instead of chaos to the situation at hand. "Now shake," Artemis commanded. And behold, Beckett and Myles restrained their anger, and settled for a stalemate.

"I still don't know why you're so mad at us instead of your son." Myles told Artemis.

At this point, Artemis looked towards his son, and Melinda, who looked towards their own feet, feeling somewhat ashamed. They did nothing wrong, however everything that they did do seemed a little off. A teenage boy and a teenager girl, together, alone, in a bed? It was very bad for them indeed. Thankfully, the Gods were on their side, when Holly stepped forth, and said what needed to be said.

"Why should we be mad at Apollo?" She stated. "He didn't do anything wrong."

"He had a young lady in his bed with him," Beckett pointed out.

"He had a bodyguard protecting him from any incoming danger." Holly corrected him. "And I know for a fact that Melinda is too professional to let a thing like you're insinuating happen." Then, looking at Melina, Holly proclaimed, "ain't that right dear?"

"Yes," Melinda exclaimed immediately. Apollo wiped his brow off silently, thanking the heavens that he was still intact.

Just at that moment, the phone rang. Quickly placing the telephone to her ear, she asked, "Hello?" and explosion of loud expressions was heard, though not clearly, from all the residents of the house. Whoever it was on the other line, he or she was flipping out. It took forever for Holly to get the caller to calm down. "Foaly, Foaly!" she proclaimed. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down. Tell me, what happened."

Then, after another period of silence, she too, proclaimed, "WHAT!"

* * *

He arrived approximately 2 hours later. He galloped through the broken door way and skirted himself to a stop right in front of Holly, Artemis, Trouble, Grub, Melinda, and Apollo. He explained everything that he could explain. But it was impossible to decode the incoherent words that erupted from Foaly's mouth and spewed like vomit. It took a while for Foaly, to take Melinda's advice and, 'chill the fuck out.'

However, he eventually did so, and then, with calm, (or at least calmer) demeanor in mind, Foaly told them the basic concept of what had just happened.

Juliet, Julius, and Mulch had been kidnapped.

It was a short sentence, but the impact was tremendous. Everyone's jaw went slack with shock. All of them realized that this meant one thing. They were shit.

Foaly continued to explain that horrible night in further detail.

"So after the initial attack," Foaly said, "I ran from my post and headed towards them. But when I got there, it was too late. The attackers were gone, and the plane was too. I trotted back towards my tech fort in defeat, and when I got there, I was shocked to find that it was ransacked. I suddenly realized that it was by the hands of Opal's workers that this attack happened. Knowing this, I didn't pick up any of my equipment at all, fearing that it had been tapped into and could be used against us."

"How do you know this?" Artemis asked quickly.

"In big black spray paint, the symbol from the tattoo was placed on the door. 2," then, upon his back, Foaly reached through the pack until he founded his desired object to display. Showing it to the public, it was automatically identified as a floppy disk. "I found this," Foaly finished.

Taking the floppy disk, Artemis walked towards the room which had the only computer available to display the contents of this disk. Everyone followed behind him in a straight line as he made his way to the monitor room. In there, he found one of the many computers used at his disposal and placed the floppy disk properly inside the computer.

A file popped up, waiting to be open. The file was simply identified as, 'the proposition.' Double clicking it, a large video player was brought onto the monitor.

Then, in the video display, a light beamed down in the darkness, revealing the one, the only, the dastardly evil, Opal Kobio.

"Good evening," she stated with a smile. "I've been expecting you quite some time Apollo."

_So here's the crazy psycho chick, _Apollo thought to himself as his jaw hung low in amazement. Meanwhile, Artemis, fearing the contents of this file may corrupt his computer through a virus, began to reach for the mouse to exit out. But before he did, Opal said this.

"Now, let it be clear. This file has no viruses on it. As world domination as my witness, you have my word on it." Everyone took it into account that what Opal was saying was true. After all, she didn't take world domination lightly. "This file has only been sent as a message; a proposition of sorts, but mostly, it's a request."

Everyone in the room, staring at the screen, was puzzled.

"You see, I've been meaning to play this game for quite some time now, but I really needed some contestants." She stated. Then, with an evil glare, she said, "Luckily for me, I finally have some."

Behind her, another light flickered on, revealing Juliet, Mulch, and Julius; all bounded to chairs, gagged, and blindfolded. All of them were almost comatose, worn to the bitter bone and fatigued from their earlier beatdown.

The room back at the manor became amazingly tense. Not one person spoke a word; save for Melinda. Upon seeing Juliet gagged and tied, she said low, yet desperate like a scream, "mom."

Apollo felt distraught. He wanted to throw up. But it was about to get worst.

Opal continued on. "There, so now that we have some contestants, I can explain the game." As she said this, three other male pixies appeared in the light with Julius, Mulch, and Juliet. All of them were chuckling some low and mischievous chuckle. All of them were holding something in their hands, but what was it?

"The game is called, 'European alternatives,'" Opal clarified. "And basically, the idea of the game is to find out what the European version of an American device is and vice versa. Like say, in Europe we have Euros. But in America, you have dollars Apollo. So if I were to say, 'Europe is to euros as America is to," and you were to say, 'dollars,' then you'd win." With that in mind, Opal clapped her hands and stated with a grin, "Now, let's begin shall we."

There was a tense silence as the gang realized that whatever Opal had in mind, it wasn't good.

"Europe is to Cricket bats…." Opal began.

Suddenly, the objects within the soldiers of Kobio's commands grasp were brought into the light. As stated before, they were cricket bats.

"Oh, if you have no clue what they are, don't you worry Apollo," she stated. "I'll explain it to you. You see, in Europe, cricket bats are used to strike things."

Mulch was the first. His guard brought the cricket bat along his face. A loud _smack _was heard upon contact. His nose shattered and blood spewed forth on the rags. Everyone back in the manor was silent; filled with distraught and fear.

"These things are also good at hitting balls," Opal added.

Julius was second. The small end of the cricket bat was placed on his genitals. It was shoved down, fast and hard, busting his balls to the point of inner bleeding. He opened his mouth wide, silently screaming out in pain, and then breathed hard.

"So Apollo," Opal asked. "What do you American's have that's equivalent to a cricket bat?"

Apollo paled.

"Oh, I know," she said with a smile as she began to back towards Juliet, Mulch, and Julius. She pulled out her object, "Baseball bat." She said. "Now these things are really good at hitting balls." She smiled insanely as she struck Mulch in the same manner that Julius was struck. Mulch, while louder in his scream, reacted the same way.

Then she started walking to her sides, and soon, the gang found her standing right next to Juliet.

"But I prefer to use them to bust knee caps," she exclaimed.

The bat collided with Juliet's knees. The split of the bone was heard clear as day. Juliet belted out a horrendous cry of pain. Blood trickled down her jeans along her shins and calf. A pool of blood started to form.

Just as Opal was about to make contact with the second leg, gunfire was heard. Not on the video, but in real life.

The monitor burst. Sparks erupted, and giant gaping hole was left in the upper left hand corner of the screen. Everyone had instinctually jumped when they first heard the noise. They sat perfectly still for a while, taking into account what just happened.

Turning slowly towards her, the gang noticed Melinda, holding her gun, fully drawn, and aiming it right at the computer.

The expression on her face was no expression at all. It was purely sociopathic. She felt pain, and everyone knew she felt it, but he face remained stern, unmoved, and terrifyingly serious.

Slowly, she got up and placed the gun back into her holster. Looking down at the people staring up at her in a terrified, yet not surprised manner, she told them the basic logistics of what was about to happen.

"Here's the plan," Melinda stated in a stern, powerful, yet barley loud voice. "we are heading down to Africa, and saving my mother. If you do not agree to this plan, I'm blowing your fucking brains out. Everyone is coming, even you Apollo. She wants you, and if push comes to shove, I'll send her to you."

"I'm not gonna let you do that." Artemis stated as he stood up immediately.

Then, something incredible happened.

Melinda pointed the gun at Artemis.

Holly's eyes widen.

"Melinda, have you lost your mind?" Holly asked breathlessly.

"I only gained it," she replied.

"You are not letting Opal win." Artemis clarified.

"She won't win." Melina explained. "Sure, I'll give her Apollo, but I'm going to let him kick her ass." She stated.

"What are you talking about?" Holly stated.

"Mrs. Fowl." Melinda said. "Your son has a gift as you are well aware of. It's a blessing of sorts. I'm only asking that he uses his blessings properly, and destroys that wretch with a lightning bolt to the face."

Standing up immediately, knocking a chair over, Apollo exclaimed, "I'm in."

"Apollo!" Holly practically screamed, dumbfounded by what was happening before her.

"I'm ready." Apollo stated. "Sure I don't have the proper training or the experience to control my powers just yet, but I doubt I'll even need that. My inner rage will supply me with all I need to take this psychotic schizoid fuck down once and for all."

Melinda then gave Apollo the best gift that he could've received at this moment.

A smile.

Turning to the rest of the gang, she said the two words that needed to be said. "Who else?"

* * *

**Again, sorry for the long wait. Please review ! **


	22. Pull me out of the air crash

**Alright folks. I hate lying or keeping secrets up close and tight so I'm going to be real with you all. I'm starting to dislike writing chapters for Apollo more and more. I don't know why, but it seems I've lost my lust for writing this that I had back with me when I was writing the first few chapters. However, that should be no excuse for quality or quantity. I will not cut this short, and I will hold nothing back. I am finishing this story the RIGHT way. Hopefully, you all will enjoy these next few chapters to come. Trust me, on the suspense action level, they are going to be jam packed. And I heard that my forte is writing action. So I hope it's true and evident with this new and exciting chapter of **_**Apollo.**_

**So sit back, relax, and read on my friends.**

**Song: "New Abortion." Artist: Slipknot. (Don't start the song untill you reach the first break. Then, end it after the second break).**

"_I had a great idea for the movies, no one will take it. I was watching Terminator 2 the other day, and I realized that these had to be the best stunts in history. Two-hundred million dollar special effects. How are we ever going to top that? There's no way…unless. We started using terminal ill patients - hear me out - as stunt people in movies…ok, not the most popular idea. Some of you might think that's cruel. 'Bill? Terminaly ill stunt people? That's cruel.' You know what I think cruel is, leaving your loved ones in some sterile hospital bed to die surrounded by strangers. Fuck that. Put them in the movies. What? Do you want your fragile grandmother to die alone with her translucent flesh so thin that you can literally see her last heartbeat as her blood goes through her tiny blue veins? Or, do you want her to meet Chuck Norris?" _

_Bill Hicks._

**Yes, I know, I have used a quote from bill for two chapters back to back now. But he's super good. Check out his stuff on YouTube.**

As with anything dealing with The Fowl family, there had to be a plan. Part of what got Juliet and her group in trouble in the first place was that they went into the airport with their heads not screwed on properly. So before packing for the trip, everyone gathered in the dining hall to discuss the plan. Same as before, it was going to be an undercover surprise attack. They had to look convincing just enough to be let in, and then they could tear Opal's palace a new one. However, that was not currently the main issue being discussed at that particular moment. What they really needed to figure out, was the best flight plan. Knowing Opal, she obviously had to have some control over the skies. But frankly, it was a big ass sky, so if Artemis could find a free air zone, they could avoid confrontation or radar detection. And, with his new radar blocking stealth technology that he added to the planes several years ago, the family should be all fine.

The second biggest topic of discussion was what was exactly going through Melinda's head. How was she being a good bodyguard by handing over her employer? Was she insane? Had she lost it?

She did however make a compelling argument. "She is my mother," she was quoted to saying. "She took care of me when my father went psycho. I need her, as much as you need Apollo. And let's be clear, I'm not giving him up. I know what he's capable of. I haven't seen it, but I've heard what he can do, and based on that alone, I think Opal would have too much to deal with. And if that doesn't work out, there's always this."

She pulled out a packet of some kind. Inside the packet, were several roundish brown objects which appeared to look like nuts.

"Risen," Melinda explained. "The flowers they bloom are amazingly beautiful, as the garden obviously shows. But the beans themselves are highly toxic. A Mexican drug lord was killed by these things, because an undercover agent, dress as a reporter, gave the drug lord a pen and the man wrote on his skin to get the ink to appear. On that tiny pen head, laid risen. Three days later; dead. I have enough here to kill Opal in less than 3 hours. First, it will appear that she has come down with the flu. Sweating, vomiting. Then she'll pass out. And finally, death."

Artemis took the packet to his lab upstairs and prepared the product. In no less than 1 hour, the genius invented a bullet which also contained the poison which would inject into Opal's body upon impact. Afterwards, they discussed the plan one more time. It was decided that when all hell would break loose, they would split up into teams. Foaly, would always remain their eye in the sky, and him, along with Beckett and Myles, would stay in the manor and use the equipment to carry out the details of the operation and direct them on oncoming enemies and such. Artemis, Grub, and Trouble would go inside the building first and lay down cover fire while Holly, Melinda, and Apollo would scope out the building as they searched for Koboi. When Opal was to be found, Melinda would be the one to take the first shot because her gun contained the bullet which held the risen.

"I won't miss," Melinda commented. "I usually never do. But, if such were the case, Holly can start laying down fire, and Apollo can lay that room ablaze with his electricity. Plus, if Apollo were to be hurt, Holly would be right beside him for on the spot healing and I could then begin shooting."

It was all agreed upon at that large dining room table, the same table were everything began, where Mulch and Julius informed Apollo that he was a dying breed being hunted down by some demented pixie, that same table where thousands of years of criminal dynasty took place that the plan was to be set in stoned. And so, two hours after getting the evil recording from Koboi, the gang began packing.

Grub and Trouble, along with Melinda and Holly, packed the usual necessities; weapons. Guns upon guns began stacking up in gym bags as if they were candy on Halloween night. Coincidently, Fowl manor also contained some fairy weapons that Holly was allowed to take with her on the surface once she agreed to marry Artemis. Only she was allowed to handle them and place them in her bag. Everyone else packed typical human weapons; m16 assault rifles, pump action shot guns, hardcore machine guns, the whole shebang.

Meanwhile, Artemis and Apollo began packing computer equipment. Although Artemis was way more interested in technology than his son, Apollo agreed that they would need to take something with them. However, it was important to see if the computers were clean and up to date. If one virus was on them, they might as well kiss the plan goodbye. Plus, Artemis needed to make sure that Opal hadn't taken over their computers. Gods forbid if that was so.

Once everything was packed, in neat order, and supervised and inspected one more time by Artemis, he called for Melinda to bring the private jet around. While waiting inside, Apollo clenched his fists tightly. He was nervous, and it could be sensed by everyone in the room. When he breathed in, it was like he was gasping for air, as though he'd been trapped under water and that his lungs were about to explode. Artemis laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Even if you stayed here, you still wouldn't be safe," Artemis concluded. "In fact, Opal may be sending some of her personnel right here."

Foaly perked his head up from the laptop monitor which he now set up in his new 'home base,' in the living room. "OH, THANKS FOR THE CONFIDENCE BOOSTER!" Foaly screeched.

The comedy relief was much needed, and Apollo and his father shared a good laugh together. It was one of those few moments that Apollo and his father really got to connect, and both were thankful for that. When the laughter settled, Artemis stated, "Best to keep you in my sights. I want to be there to help you in any way you can."

"Thanks dad," Apollo assured his father.

At that moment, the plane rolled up. They grabbed their gear and got onboard. Once inside, Artemis immediately took the captains chair, and began to steer the plane out of the runway of Fowl manor, and started to ascend the skies. Then, at 3,000 feet, for probably one of the last moments they could do so, the entire gang; Grub, Trouble, Holly, Melinda, Artemis, and Apollo, breathed a sigh of relief.

* * *

Most of the trip before _"the moment," _as criticized by Apollo, was a big bore. Most of the gang just got some rest. Apollo laid on the couch that remained in the middle of the jet and listen to his IPod, shuffling through many tunes which consisted of such artists like "Cake," "Pavement," lots and lots of Beatles which helped soothed the teenagers nerves, "Nirvana," "Foo Fighters," and much much more.

It took a total of seven hours, before something horrific happened. And the worst part in Apollo's opinion, besides the tremendous fear that he would soon feel, was the fact that it had to take place in the midst of a really good Beatles tune.

"Last night I said these words to my girl," Apollo sang as he banged on the sofa mimicking the drums to the song. This only partly disturbed Artemis Fowl, but he was consistently focused on manning the aircraft at the time. "C'mon, C'mon…C'mon, C'mon…C'mon, C'mon…C'mon, C'mon. Please Please me oh yeah, like I please you!"

Then suddenly, a violent and tremendous bellowing took place inside the plane. A red light started flashing on the monitor, which indicated that the alarm was going off, and that something was in the vicinity of the planes radar.

Apollo immediately threw off his ear buds and walked towards his father. "What's going on?" he asked slightly dazed and confused.

Most of the passengers were already walking towards the flight cabin to see what was going on. The only one who stayed behind was Trouble, who looked out one of the windows and began shouting.

"What in Holy Mother of Frond's name is that?" the elf man shouted.

Grub ran back towards his brother's side, while everyone else simply turned their heads. Looking out the window, Grub saw what his brother saw, and it sent panic riveting through his heart. The description of such an object isn't necessary. The image itself can be implied and imagined by the name alone.

"MISSILE!" Grub frantically shouted.

Artemis looked down at his radar, and on the green screen, he saw it to; a little tiny green dot, coming closer and closer to the center. It seemed less threatening appearing on radar than in actual sight. But Artemis knew what this implied and immediately took action. He turned the aircraft sharply to the left and the aircraft tilted and banked to the left, while descending as well. This caught the rest of the gang off guard, as their bodies flew about and against the inside of the plane. Apollo's face collided with a handle on a drawer. Pain shot through his system and he tasted blood. He spat out a foreign object which he tasted on his tongue, and when in the palm of his hand, along with some of his own blood which he spat out, Apollo realized that the object wasn't foreign at all.

"Shit!" the teenager groaned. "I knocked out my damn tooth."

A few seconds later, Artemis looked back down at the screen again. Blast! The green dot was still there. Luckily, it wasn't as close as it was before, so the Irish genius was doing something right. But now, it was time for tings to get drastic if he, his family, and friends, wanted to make it out alive.

"Get strapped in and hang on!" Artemis screamed towards his passengers. Then, he took action.

Apollo and the rest of the gang immediately found seats and strapped themselves in with the seatbelts and other harnesses that were present. To Apollo, the straps were almost an equivalent to rollercoaster harnesses. It was broken into two straps which connected by a buckle at his belly button. One half of the strap covered his waist while the other halve went over his shoulder and arms like a shirt. He could tighten both the upper straps and the lower straps to his liking, and based on how things were about to escalate into something horrific and terrifying, Apollo tightened himself to the point of suffocation.

Artemis immediately sent the plane down in a violently tailspin while trying to gradually maneuver the plane to the left on its descent. He figured that going left worked before, why shouldn't it work now? Plus, his idea was to go as low as he possibly could, then at the last second, he would pull the plane upwards and cause the missile to strike dirt. Being trained on his flying to an advance training program headed by Butler, it seemed like it could work.

On the way down, Apollo felt weightless. For a moment, Apollo could feel himself rising upwards against his straps and actually had to put forth effort in trying to place his feet on the ground. The worst part was the feeling of helplessness. He was just a passenger. He couldn't see the death that was apparently flying towards them, ready to blow them and the plane into oblivion. He just had to hold on, tightly, and put faith in the fact that his father knew what he was doing.

On the way up, the G-s nearly killed Apollo. He could feel all the weight against him which made it impossible to breath. His intestines started to burn from the pressure, and Apollo began grinding his teeth and giving forth a signature grunt/slash scream which many action stars uttered in positions such as this when in an amazing action movie.

Though it strained his neck incredibly, Artemis glanced down at the radar. The missile still remained. And what was worst was that at first glance, there appeared to be….two…oh god. There were now two missiles heading for the aircraft. Artemis felt sweat going down his face. The immense fear was too much. And idea popped into his skull. Shouting back at his passengers, he stated, "Hang on," once more, before commencing into series of barrel rolls. He figured that if he could spin the plane tightly enough, the missile would collide into each other; two birds, one stone. Except this time, the birds were the stones. Get it?

The moment was easily comparable to a rollercoaster in Apollo's mind. Except in a roller coaster, there was some feeling of sanctuary, knowing that it was all a ride and that the intention was safety first. But there was no safety here, no sanctuary or shelter. There was the strict possibility of death. And it weighed on his mind even more heavy than the G-'s that impounded him earlier.

Suddenly, he felt dizzy. And then, he felt something wet on his neck and chest. He realized that he slightly puked all over himself during the barrel rolls. _Great, _Apollo thought hopelessly. _Now, I'm easily unattractive to Melinda. _

Speaking of which, the female assign was starting to rise from her seat when the plane went level once more. She started going to the back and shuffling through item in a drawer. Apollo raised a brow, trying to understand just exactly what was she looking for in such a crisis situation.

Meanwhile, Artemis glanced back down at the radar. The missiles were coming in and they were coming in hot. he checked his mental rolodex of flight patterns; nothing. He consulted with his wife. She had nothing either. It was inevitable. The Missiles were going to hit them. Which left only one option; bail.

"Melinda," Artemis screeched. "Are you finding the parachutes?"

_Oh, _it clicked In Apollo's head. _So that's what she's looking for._

Melinda screamed in fury as she threw the random items on the ground. "NOTHING!" She pronounced like a deranged banshee. "There's absolutely nothing that could aid us. All I found was this inflatable rubber raft!" she exclaimed this as she picked up the object. "I mean, what the hell could we do with a rubber-"

Suddenly, a wild and random and possibly amazing idea snapped in her head. She ran towards Artemis, and as she did so, told everyone to unbuckle themselves. The passengers did so, and walked towards Melinda. She leaned forward and asked Artemis, "Are we near the vicinity of any mountains?"

"I don't know," Artemis said at first as he glanced out the front window of the aircraft. After the barrel rolls earlier, Artemis descended towards the ground. They were low, incredibly low. So low that they could've been harpooned. But the great thing about being so low was that it allowed Artemis the ability to see well. And then, in the sandy, dirty landscape that surrounded them, he noticed something big, black, and rigged looming over the horizon. "Yes, I see some mountains just above the horizon," he finally announced.

"Good." Melinda replied. Then she rushed towards the door. "Artemis," she began. "Is there any way you can depressurize the cabin?"

He flipped one of the many switches onboard the monitor and suddenly, Apollo felt his ears popping. "Got it," Artemis told Melinda.

"Nice," she stated. Then, she declared loudly to everyone on board, "All right, everyone. Grab your weapons and then get behind me. Artemis, I need you to find I way to get this plan to go up slightly so that we are just above the mountains when we arrive, and then, set it on autopilot and get with us. Got it?"

Artemis, for the first time in a long time, did as he was told. He lightly pulled up on the wheel and flicked another switch to activate the autopilot. Then, he joined the gang as they huddled around Melinda. Apollo could feel the plane slightly venture upwards. He twitched his eyes towards the window and noticed the Missiles. They were fairly far away, but they were still visible, and with each passing second they were getting closer, and closer, and closer.

Meanwhile, Melinda pulled the cord on the rubber raft and in the blink of an eye, it inflated to a gargantuan size, almost knocking the group back.

This struck Grub off. "A Raft?" He screamed. "WE'RE NOT SINKING, WE'RE CRASHING!"

"Don't you mean, about to crash?" Trouble told his brother.

"We won't crash if we do this right!" Melinda replied with anger. She began pulling the handle on the door in front of her desperately, trying to pry it open. Finally, she succeeded, and thanks to Artemis Fowl and his actions taken earlier, since the cabin was depressurized, no one was sucked out of the air craft at that moment.

Then came the most intense part; the countdown. They had to wait until they were just above the mountains. It was easier said than done. Their nerves were twitching violently and their heart rates were increasing. The missiles were gaining on them, and any second now, they were about to turn into fried chicken. But they couldn't jump, not just yet.

Suddenly, Melinda noticed that the mountains were as close as they could possibly be. She gathered everyone around her closely. They all grabbed hold of the straps which circled the raft. They gripped tightly, and waited as Melinda began to count.

"ONE….."

Apollo could actually hear the missiles coming towards them.

"…TWO…"

He looked down and noticed that the ground was closer than usual. It was also not as welcoming as ground usually was. But then again, they were at the peak of a mountain with missiles flying towards them.

"…THREE!"

They pushed the raft out the doorway and Apollo's heart stopped. The chaotic noise of the plane, the beeping and chiming of bells and whistles symbolizing incoming doom had disappeared. Now came a newer and somehow, much more frightening sound. Wind. Violent wind pushed passed them and brushed their hair back, ruffled their clothes, and carried away all other sounds…..

Except for the abrupt and outrageous explosion of the plane above them. They all turned their heads towards the sky to glance at the fantastic fireball of debris and steel. Thankfully, none of the fiery remains of the plane struck them on their way down. But frankly, at the time, they didn't care. At the moment of their falling, they were concentrating on holding on to the raft for dear life and not letting go. One loose grip meant death. On top of that, they were also focused on another incoming object which they knew for sure was going to strike them 100%.

The ground.

When they landed on the sandy rocky mountain at an incline level, Apollo felt and heard something in his stomach snap. Then, as they slid down mountain, and as dust and dirt clouded around them, Apollo realized that he was wheezing. He found it difficult to breath. Each breath he took felt like fire. He automatically recognized that he had broken one of his ribs.

But thankfully, the adrenaline of what was happening right now canceled out most of the pain that Apollo was experiencing; otherwise, he would've been crying like a little bitch. Melinda manned the run-away raft as it began skidding down the sandy, rocky mountain side. They slid passed trees and giant boulders. They dodged stumps and small cacti. But the amazing part was that they did all of this together. There were so many people on the large rubber raft that it could've been so easy for one of them to get thrown off; or even worst, have their weight disrupt their path and cause them to stumble down the mountain side and receive multiple lacerations or death.

It was rather cramped (Apollo felt as though he was not only going to suffocate due to the rib, but also from the sheer amount of weight from the other passengers who sat on top of him), but at least they were together, to face whatever obstacle that was going to come their way.

And the last obstacle that they faced, the one that made Apollo's eyes grow wide with fear and caused his stomach to lurch up into his throat, was a cliff. And from behind the cliff, everyone could hear and unmistakable sound. It wasn't a waterfall. A waterfall would imply that they were already in water. They were getting close to water, dangerous water. They were about to skip off the mountain and into…..

"RIVER RAPIDS!" Melinda declared.

They could have counted down the seconds once more till impact to embrace themselves for the incoming danger. But frankly, everyone, including Artemis, decided to scream. All in unison, the gang bellowed out what sounded like frantic war cries as they came towards the cliff,

And when they tumbled over, still gripping on to the raft tightly, the screaming continued all the way down.

When they struck the water, everyone got drenched. The raft did not duck under the water, but the impact from the fall cause copious amounts of water to splash upon them. And the water continued splashing upon them as the rapids caused the raft to rock violently. Apollo could compare this moment to seeing Shamu.

They went down, forward, side to side. The raft was knocked around senselessly and it almost seemed like an impossible task to dodge all the jagged rocks which would've cut into the rubber and cause the crew to sink immediately. But thankfully, with the help of Holly, both she and Melinda managed to do so. They tried their hardest to protect the family. They used all the effort in their bodies to steer the vessel. They used all their muscles to the point of strain. And they gave forth not just their 100% but their 120%.

Finally, after 20 minutes of struggle, and after a quick dip in a small 3 foot high quote unquote "waterfall," clear sailings provided themselves in the form of silent, calm, pristine, still water. Melinda, Holly, Artemis, and Apollo breathed out deeply, sighing in relief. The worst, or what appeared to be the worst, was over. Holly noted her son's strange breathing patterns.

She asked him what's wrong. In reply, he coughed up blood as he told her about how he broke his rib. Immediately, Holly healed her baby. And when all was said and done, they embraced each other tightly in a comforting hug. Both of them needed comfort at the moment. Thankfully, it seemed that the nightmare which unleashed itself a few seconds earlier was beginning to subside.

Then, Grub turned to Melinda and gave forth a piece of his mind.

"I HATE WATER," He interjected. "I HATE BEING WET! I HATE MISSILES! I HATE SKYDIVING! I HATE TOO MUCH EXCITEMENT! AND RIGHT NOW, I HATE YOU!"

Melinda chuckled. "Good," she replied with a smile that only Artemis could've mustered, "Because along with Mr. and Mrs. Fowl, I just save your life."

* * *

They loftily floated down the river, or lake, or whatever body of water they were on for what seemed like endless hours of nothingness. In actuality, it was only three hours before anything of substance happened, but without any means of entertainment or something just to keep Apollo occupied, it felt like an eternity. It didn't help much to add to the fact that the glaring hot sun was beaming down directly onto Apollo, causing major sunburn. The only thing that the teenager could really think of to do was to sleep. But when he tried it out, his sleeping lead to the sunburn mentioned earlier.

So really, all there was to do was just talk to his father from time to time to see how things were coming along with their technology. Artemis was able to save a laptop along with some other usb adaptable equipment and while they were floating down the river, the genius was in the process of trying to receive contact with Foaly. It was no trouble at all, since Artemis had also saved a satellite adaptor allowing them to connect to the internet without the use of wifi. It took forever, however, since most of the equipment was almost damaged beyond all repair. But, being the genius that he was, Artemis was able to fix everything and finally, after three hours, something of importance happened.

They connected with Foaly.

"Hello? Hello, Hello?" Foaly's grainy and distorted image announced on the laptop's screen. "Jesus, the equipment over here is going haywire."

"Foaly!" Artemis announced. The entire gang tried to shift over towards the laptop to see what was going on. Holly spoke up first and asked a question that was on everyone one's mind. "What's going on over there? How come you weren't able to alert us about the incoming missiles?"

Foaly's eyes went wide. When he spoke, his voice cracked. "THERE WERE MISSILES?"

Holly's mouth gapped open in shock. "My Frond, so you weren't in contact with us at all."

"Well I was," Foaly said as he shifted about the room, checking all of the monitors again. "But about 4 and a half hours ago, something went terribly wrong. The computers were shutting on and off automatically, the monitors were getting all fuzzy, sparks were flying, it was complete hell back here in Ireland. I was able to salvage some of the computers but even now as we speak they are starting to act up." At that moment, behind Foaly, some sparks radiated and burst out of nowhere. The centaur stepped away from the gang for a moment, and fixed the computer the old fashion way; by striking it with a monkey wrench furiously and cussing up a storm.

"Am I correct to assume that your system got hacked into by Opal," Apollo stated.

"Impossible," Foaly replied dignified. "My system is foolproof." Then, realizing how pompous he sounded, he opened his eyes wide and replied, "But yeah, that's about the only option left to take for us to assume."

Artemis twitched his eyes back and forth nervously. Something clicked in his brain. Ideas connected and Artemis realized something that was not good. "Time is of the essence," he told Foaly. "So I'm going to have to be quick with you. I have some questions. First of all, where are we at?"

"Well, by my calculations, you're somewhere in the African continent," Foaly concluded.

"REALLY? YOU DON'T SAY?" Apollo replied sardonically.

"Hey, listen, I'm not in the best of conditions right now so I can't really help you that much," Foaly replied with anger. "But the best I could tell you right now is that you gotta be close to Opal's base. Otherwise, there would've have been no missiles."

"Seems legit," Trouble concluded.

"Question number two," Artemis said. "How long before you can reconfigure the technology and be up to speed with us 24/7?"

"Nope," Foaly retorted. "Not happening. The technology has gone so far out of control that repairing and restoring it is far out of my abilities and that means something. The best I can do is grab some new equipment, but I'd have to send you brothers to do it."

"Tell them to buy a Mac Pro along with several USB connectable applications," Artemis told the centaur. "Say codeword 'Elijah.' I hope to God they didn't forget what that meant."

"I'll get right on that," Foaly said. "I have a feeling that we should be disconnecting right about now. If Opal was able to hack into my system it won't be long before-"

And suddenly, the screen faded out. Sharp static came to overshadow laptop's monitor. Artemis gripped the laptop tightly and started shouting, "Foaly, Foaly," before the static was replaced by a gif of a dwarf shaking his bare bottom, and above the dwarf, text which read, 'you just got Koboi-ed.'

"I'd never thought that in a million years, Opal would gain hacker humor," Artemis stated in disbelief.

After that incident, a few more minutes of constant floating was all that really transpired, until Apollo started whistling. He felt that there was nothing else to do, and unless he were to go crazy, He decided to whistle while they floated and at the time, the tune passing by his brain happened to be another Beatles song, "Yellow Submarine."

Then, as Apollo continued whistling, he turned towards Melinda, and slowly began to stop. He felt somewhat awkward for their eyes immediately connected. And then, she started to laugh. It was a light chuckle but a laugh none the less, and that sent Apollo scrambling to continue the laughter.

It was then he realized why she was laughing. Sure, his wide eyes and strange pout he produced once he discovered Melinda watching him was by itself rather charming and whimsical, but the true reason why she was laughing, was just the absurdity of it all. He was whistling 'Yellow submarine,' while the floated in a _yellow _rubber raft.

An idea clicked off, and suddenly, Apollo began to sing.

"In the town, where I was born, lived an elfin man, who sailed to sea," he started.

"Oh God," Artemis replied in theatrical shame as he shielded his head.

"Oh Gods," Holly replied in almost the exact same way Artemis replied.

"And he told us of the dafts, who lived onboard, their rubber rafts," Apollo continued.

Melinda began to laugh full heartedly. She was finding this version of 'Yellow Submarine,' quite enjoyable. Trying her best, she sang along with him. Though she wasn't so sure how the new lyrics went, since it wasn't her rendition, she kept up along nicely.

"So they sailed into the sun, as we rowed with our giant shafts," they giggled slightly at this rhyme, being teenagers with dirty minds. "Then we lived, above the waves, in our yellow, rubber raft."

Then came the chorus, and at that point, Grub joined in on the fun. "We all live in a yellow rubber raft, a yellow rubber raft, a yellow rubber raft," the three sang. Second time through, even Holly and Trouble came together, leaving Artemis being the only party pooper. "We all live in a yellow rubber raft, a yellow rubber raft, a yellow rubber raft."

But Artemis couldn't resist for too long. When they came around to the second round of chorus, Artemis mumbled along with them. Holly smiled at this and rubbed her husband's shoulder, coxing him along until his defenses finally broke down and sang with them. And they were discovered like this by the tribe of African Indians waiting behind a large stone.

The Indians rushed out to meet them, and upon confrontation, the gang fled the raft and into the waters, which they discovered upon entry was only knee deep for the human passengers, waist deep for the Elvin passengers. But, even though they tried to run, they were caught almost immediately.

One of the tribe men walked towards Artemis. As he squirmed about in his captors arms, the Indian studied his face, before announcing in tribal lingo, (which was deciphered by Holly due to her gift of tongues), "He's the one," and pulled them along.

Artemis asked Holly to ask the Indians where they were going. Holly did so, and the leader of the little group of Indians, turned to her and said, "Our boss knows you."

* * *

**Whoa, another chapter, another month. I realize that this seems to be a pattern. Fortunately for me, I just kicked another chapter story out the way so I can focus on this entirely. Who knows, I might even get the story finished this summer. *FINGER CROSSED***

**Thank you again for reading. Please fav this if you haven't. REVIEW AS MUCH AS POSIBLE! And as always, tell your friends on the forums about this. See you soon. **


	23. Hard facing up when the world is Black

**Hello all my fellow readers. I have indeed returned. My hopes for getting at least two chapters in a month are sort of 'up in the air.' at this moment. This is partly because as I am currently typing this, I am also riding in an RV which is heading towards Los Angeles. Why am I riding in an RV towards L.A. you may ask? Starting Sunday the 24****th****, I will be attending S.O.C.A.P.A. (School of Creative and Performing arts). They have a two week filmmaker's camp in which kids ages 13-18 are taught how to write, direct, act, and edit 2 of their very own movies in two weeks. Me, being an avid lover of films, basically squealed when I heard the news that S.O.C.A.P.A. would be my 2012 summer vacation destination and I am really looking forward to the excitement. The only downside was that I was afraid 'Apollo,' would not be updated in time. However, I shall prevail and hopefully, by tonight (Friday, June 22, 2012), you will be reading this chapter. Well, I talked enough. Without further ado, here it is.**

**Song: Black. Artist: Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi. (Feat. Norah Jones).**

"_I will state a grim fact here. Everyone is going to die. It's inevitable. Please, don't do it for me. Do it for your family. One member of each family should die in the most charismatic way possible. Because in today's world, a typical family death is 'Aunt Martha grew to be 994 pounds and her heart exploded one day while she was peacefully sleeping and the walls of her apartment had to be torn down so the firemen could reach her.' Sounds, dull dark and boring, Right? Compare that to this. "How did Uncle Martin die again?" "Your uncle…got eaten by a f****ing alligator!" That's so cool! And, it's free lunch all the way through high school. "Hey, are you the guy whose uncle was eaten by an Alligator? Really? Damn man, here's my sandwich."_

_Henry Rollins._

Emotions were mixed as the gang was being forced to march out in the middle of the African desert. Some were tired, most were hungry, and Apollo was pretty much not amused by the fact that they were being lead by Indians with guns. How did an African tribe even come across such high powered weaponry; much less know how to use it. But Apollo didn't put up any fight whatsoever. It was just an afterthought in the midst of confusion. If truth be told, that was the prevailing emotion that the entire gang was simultaneously feeling; confusion. Where were they being lead to? What was the purpose? What did the Indian mean by 'our chief knows you?' How in the world could an African chief Indian know them? Did he know Artemis, or even the entire Fowl family? Basically, all these questions could be grouped together into one big question that everybody was struggling to figure out on their own. _What was going on? _

The first sign that they had finally arrived at their predetermined destination, was when the group spotted a small hut made out of what appeared to be fossilized mud at the top of a dry rocky hill. They were being lead to the mountains and of course it was inevitable that they were being lead to some village, but it still shocked the gang when a child stepped out of the hut and watched them get pushed along the pathway. It surprised the gang even more, when from behind large pieces of rock and rubble, several more villagers poked their heads out to greet them (or at least get a good look at what was coming into town). Some of the witnesses were mothers, dressed in what appeared to be typical tribal gear. When one thinks of African villagers in the middle of the desert, what does one see? Apollo saw what he was accustomed to seeing in movies; women dressed in flimsy tank top or even no shirts at all, (some didn't even wear bra's and that caught Apollo's eye immediately), with either skirts or thongs (no jeans or pants in sight), covering their lower half. The kids ranged from shirts and underwear, to being practically naked, and most stuck to the sides of what appeared to be their mothers.

A few kids, however, broke out into fits of giggles and smiled as they ran up to Trouble, and Grub. They started poking them, giving forth 'ohhs,' and 'awws.' They had never seen creatures like these before them, and it not only baffled them, but drove their curiosity wild. Grub began to laugh as some of the kids poked him in the ribs. "Hey, cut that out," he exclaimed with a chuckle. "That tickles."

Even though he spoke English (which was now becoming his tongue of choice due to all the time that he was spending with the Fowls), the children of the village and even a few of the mothers were not expecting the strange creature they were observing to even speak. Because of this, most of them ran shrieking back up the hill. It wasn't a far run because at that time, the gang was right near the top of the hill. When they finally arrived, they peered over the edge.

And all of their jaws struck the floor with awe.

In a circular formation, the hill soon turned into a valley, which circled down, down, and even farther down for a good 100 feet or so. As stated before, the bottom of the valley was flat but the entire hill ran in circle pattern. Looking straight down was like appearing at a spiral on a piece of paper. On the side of the pathway, leading all the way down, were holes. These holes turned out to be holes; caves which in turn became adobes for the villagers. It was like something of _John Carter of Mars. _It was so alien, yet the atmosphere surrounding them, that dry, dusty, desert climate, made this sight before them seem almost, natural.

Before Apollo could even state a sigh of, "wow," they were pushed along again, and the group was told to walk the spiral pathway down. They passed many more holes and like before, many more villagers came out to greet them. Upon being lead down the hill, about halfway down, Apollo spotted something completely amazing.

"What's a car doing in the middle of a desert?" Apollo asked his father.

Artemis looked where Apollo was directing his attention towards, and the Irish genius practically began to drool. He was an avid car-lover and while he most certainly wasn't fond of the term 'gear head' (he would never work on cars. That was such a plebeian hobby), he did admire how a car look, ran, and presented itself. The car in question was a 1927 Bugatti Royale, with a red paint job and strangely added on, white wall tires, which was unaccustomed to the rarest car in the world.

"Oh my Lord," Artemis breathed out in exasperation and awe.

A firm reminder poked him in the back; it's solid steel and recognizable shape striking fear in the hearts of any sane man, and the gun told him to keep moving and to not stop.

A few more minutes later, they had finally arrived at the bottom of the mountain. At the bottom, three big holes were placed before them. Two of which lead out of the naturally hollowed out hill side as demonstrated by the light which shine through it and revealed the other end. One of the holes, the middle one, remained dark and an Indian stepped forth from that hole and motioned them to come forward.

Once inside, the group noticed a strange shift in the setting before them. It was certainly an Indian cave, and the furniture resembled something which looked like something out of a western movie, but there was something uniquely 'civilized,' about the cave. Perhaps the term was, 'corporate.' For example, there was a collection of 'Nike,' shoe boxes in the corner which were piled up inharmoniously into one big pile.

Then, near the far back of this cave, in the darkness of the home, a large, burly, menacing figure with multiple feathers sticking out of its head stood over a small pot on the fire place and it appeared to be mixing something in the pot. The large shadowy figure turned its head towards the gang. At this point, the gang was on the verge of tears due to their fatigued state and overwhelming bewilderment. The chief motioned his hands and spoke to his troops, and then they walked out of the cave. Now it was just the gang and this strange, peculiar man alone in this dark abode.

And then he suddenly spoke, and when he did, everyone was surprised to realize that he spoke English.

"Please sit," the chief softly told him, his face still concealed in the darkness. The gang stood mesmerized by the fact that they could understand him, and he asked once again, "its ok, I will not harm you," and they finally sat in a semi circle. The Chief continued to stir the pot as he spoke.

"The children of the neighboring village saw you land in the rapids," he explained. "One of their messengers ran on foot and told us of a great yellow object falling from the sky. They said it was a sign from the spirits that the end was nigh." He huffed out a humorous sigh, "I don't subscribe to their religion. After all, why should I even subscribe to the religion of my people? I am not even a local, as you can tell by the fact that I can speak English fluently."

He then walked towards them, with the pot being grasped by the handle with one hand while the other consistently gripped the ladle and stirred. "However, they did say that onboard were figures. And they also mentioned that one of the figures was a pale white being with raven black hair, and that another was a small brown girl with pointy ears. And right then, I knew-"

And then, the group finally got a decent look at the man's face, and they all gasped in shock. This man was white. "It just had to be you, Artemis Fowl." the man finished.

Artemis said the man's name aloud in a quiet, unbelievable whisper.

"Loafers Maguire."

* * *

They sat while he served them stew and told them of his tale of how he came to be the chief of the village. The former Jon Spiro employer was supposed to be on an island, in the middle of nowhere, with no recollection of the Fowl family and it's friends whatsoever. However, fate had different plans for the large burly man.

"About 15 years ago," Loafers began. "The village I lived in on that island was discovered by explorers. It was suppose to be the find of the century. A white man amongst tribal tropical Indians, who didn't know he was white? How amazing would it have been to be the one who brought him back to the states, and give him the chance to start life anew? Well, when I finally understood them (at the time I didn't speak a lick of English), I agreed to come back with them on certain terms; those terms being more shoes, which was a peace offering back on the island. Anyways, so as our ship made its way back home, we were picked up by Somalia pirates and once again, I was back in Africa. From there, I was then brought into the African desert as a slave by a rich African war lord." There was a small pause as his voice became smaller due to regret. "I did things I'm not proud of for two years. It was hell. But eventually, I escaped and I found myself here, in this mountain town, amongst some of the greatest and kindest people I'll ever know. Then, about 3 years back, we were visited by a friend of yours who is making some sort of plantation or something." He smiled knowing full and well that they knew who he was referring to.

"Opal," Holly stated aloud.

"She is no friend. She's an enemy, and an evil one at that," Artemis told the man as he sipped the stew, which was quite well in all actuality.

"I realized that the moment she forced us into captivity and made us slaves to work at her plant," Loafers continued, "and three months ago, I would've still been a slave had not Opal mentioned one particular name."

"Which name?" Trouble asked,

"Mulch," Loafers replied.

The gang smiled at that. They all knew the somewhat shady past between the two. "That was your trigger word," Apollo stated connecting the dots.

"Exactly," Loafers stated. "Every single memory of you guys came flooding back into my consciousness, and once again, I was Loafers Maguire. Naturally, at first, I was angry. But then I realized I had only two options; either I was to stay in the plant and me and my fellow people would die, or I could escape with a few of my brethren and come back here."

"I see you made the wise decision." Arty commented.

"Yes, yes," Loafers agreed with a laugh as she sat down and faced his guests.

"Will Opal come after you?" Holly asked.

"No, no," he affirmed and reassured them. "At this point, I'm nothing more than a hiccup in what appears to be a successful operation. She's got all of her Elvin and mythical cronies doing the dirty work for her now. Why go after me?"

"Because you're a mud man with historical roots to Artemis Fowl's past," Grub told him.

"I'm an Indian turned factory worker with no means of getting home and no connections to you guys; at least, that's what she thinks," Loafers told them. "And why waste so much time and effort looking for that, when she's so close to completion."

"Was she really that far ahead when you last worked for her?" Holly asked Loafers.

"I believe so," he answered.

Suddenly, Melinda got up and walked towards Loafers. She knelt down and looked him the eyes. She grabbed one of his shoulders forcefully, and with a pleading voice she asked, "My mother, Juliet. Did you see my mother?"

"No," Loafers said. "How would I know that?"

"You said Opal was mentioning Mulch," she retorted.

"That was three months ago, and it was just a pass of a phrase; a slip of the tongue; some story she was referring to one of her coworkers," Loafers told them. "And why would your mother and Mulch be connected?"

"They were recently kidnapped and are now being held hostage by Opal," Artemis said.

"You're kidding," Loafers stated in disbelief.

"No joke," Artemis replied.

Then, Melinda boldly asked a bold question, and it was a question that seemed to have appeared out of the blue, mainly because, no one was thinking it; except for her. "Will you help us get them back?"

A silence hung around the room for a long time. During this, Loafers got right back up and dusted himself off. He hummed for a while, as though he seemed to be thinking it over. "I don't know," he said. "I'll have to talk with some of the elders. We're a peaceful tribe and take no part in any war. And I know; the irony of being lead by people with guns and we don't take part in violence, ha ha ha. But we only kept the weapons in case we are attacked or something. We will never, ever, shot first. But, seeing as how you're all acquaintances in need of assistance, I'll do my best to convince them otherwise." Then he walked around and began picking up few of the gang member's empty bowls. "In the mean time," he stated. "Get some rest, stay in the village. I believe you're all due for a good night's sleep."

While time was of the essence, the gang couldn't agree more and decided to stay in the village for the night.

* * *

After they were shown their separate huts, the gang members realized that they had a couple more hours to spare before night time and each one spent their hours differently. Melinda wanted to train her aiming skills and asked Loafers if it would be possible that she could get her gun out and find some possessions to have target practice on, but that was not allowed so she spent most of her time in and out of her hut practicing karate skills. Trouble got some much needed shut eye and checked in early. Artemis and Holly tried reestablishing contact with Foaly, and were somewhat successful. But Grub and Apollo spent their time with the children. A small dirty soccer ball rolled its way along Grub's feet earlier in the day and Grub spent some of his time playing a fake game of soccer with the kids. As Apollo studied the village, he got caught up in the midst of the game and that's how they found themselves playing with the children. It was a fun moment and Apollo felt quite happy. It was a much needed break in the midst of the chaos.

At one point, the ball was kicked forcibly by one of the kids who actually wore a shirt, and Apollo started jogging after it. When he picked it up, he lifted his head and was surprised to find himself right in front of that mystical car. He stood there, hypnotized. But it was only for a few moments, because at that point, Loafers returned and spoke to Apollo.

"So you're Fowl's kid?" Loafers asked knowing the answer.

"Yep," Apollo replied while tossing the ball up and down. Realizing that he was holding the children's game up, he rolled the ball towards them and then placed his hands back in his pockets as he continued the conversation with Loafers.

"That must be quite interesting," Loafer's commented.

Apollo thought back on everything he experienced. In the past two days, he learned that he was a dying breed; he saw an underground civilization that was supremely technologically advanced beyond which the entire human mind could conceive; he fought goblins with electricity from his hands; he saw the front lines of a giant conspiracy which could expose both the fairy world and the human world; he experienced re-imaginations of his father, his family, and himself; and in the last 24 hours he experienced a plane crash. "You're damn right," he replied.

"But probably not as interesting at that car," Loafers commented with a smile.

Apollo smiled as he pointed at the car in utter excitement. He was a powder keg of anxiety on the verge of exploding. "This…..This…." and then he did. "I don't even know what this is, but it's AWESOME!"

Artemis was walking up the hill, finished with his work, and interjected at that moment. "It's a 1927 Bugatti Royale. Officially, it is the rarest car in the world." Even Artemis was flabbergasted and when he spoke his next words, he did so with eyes wide and filled with exhilaration. "How in the world did you come across this?"

Loafers smiled. He took pride in his next words. "It was a gift…from Opal." He stated with a smile ten miles wide.

Apollo's face dropped when he finally understood what he said. "You stole it?" he stated excitedly.

"I worked against my will and have obtained many scars because of this," he stated. "You think, first chance I get to escape, I do it completely quietly? I know the importance of remaining off the face of the earth and off Opal's radar, but I want to feel something vengeful, know what I mean?"

"Damn right," Apollo stated as he shook the chief's hand.

Artemis, however, was not so pleased with his reaction. He began to sweat, and his voice was laced with terror. "What?" he breathed. Then he grabbed Loafer's shoulders and looked him in the eyes. "What in the world are you doing with the car?"

"Artemis, please," Loafer's stated with a blasé tone. "She has no clue where I went and has no reason to go after me."

"Do you understand this pixie, at all?" Artemis practically screamed. "She is supremely vengeful and her pride is her biggest downfall. We defeated her once with CHOCOLATE! Loafers, I am not overreacting when I say this. Burn this car. Blow it up. Do what you have to do. JUST GET RID OF IT! NOW!"

At that moment, Apollo felt a prick on his neck. At first, he thought it was a bug bite. But when he slapped the back of his neck as an involuntarily reaction, he pulled something out. He realized, faintly, that it reminded him of a tranquilizer dart. Then, his world went black.

* * *

**Is it wrong to end each chapter of Apollo with a cliff hanger? I believe it is. Don't worry, next chapter will end with a clear cut defiant ending and I hope you will enjoy it as much as you have possibly enjoyed this chapter here. Please share this story with as many people as you know, and above all else…..**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	24. Escape from the back of a pickup truck

**Hello everyone, I'm back again with another chapter of Apollo. I'm a little nervous about writing this because I'm getting very close to the end and I've really got to make sure that everything is tightened down and tied up nicely. I'm thinking that Apollo will finally be finished around my Birthday (September 1****st****). Coincidently, that is also the day I first posted this story (2 years ago) and is also Artemis Fowl's birthday. Speaking of Fowl, I have not yet read the last book in the series. I'm not even sure if it's out in the U.S.A. yet. But whatever the case, I'm looking forward to it. In the mean time, sit back, relax, and enjoy this newest and really thrilling chapter of Apollo. **

**Song: "Slew Test 2," By Kid Koala.**

"_No one's worried about privacy! I mean, I remembered a time when the E-z passes came out. You bought those tickets to get you through the Brooklyn tunnel faster, and everyone I knew turned into these conspiracy theorist like, 'oh god, why should anyone know if I was even in the tunnel at all today. That's an evasion of privacy!' Same way with Madison Park when the government wanted to put camera's in it. People were like, 'That's an evasion of privacy.' But now, in no less than 4, maybe 5 years later, the attitude has changed to "OMG! WHEN I PUT SOMETHING ON FACEBOOK, EVERYONE WILL KNOW WHERE THE FUCK I WAS AT WHEN I POSTED IT. AIN'T THAT COOL!' no it's not cool. But people dig it. I mean, you could be out in the middle of the desert, post something on Facebook like 'I'm pregnant,' and the library of fucking congress will have it on record saying what you said and where you said it!'_

_Louie CK on Oppie and Anthony. _

"Where the hell is he?" Todd asked as he looked out at the crowd. The football field was filled with the usual people; parents seeing their kids perform football, girlfriends watching their boyfriends play as well, some outside family joining in, a couple of old-timers, all in all just usual people. There was only one minor difference. Not only will they be seeing a football game, they will also be witnessing the very first performance of the band _T.A.M.S._ There was only one small problem. Their drummer, Apollo, was nowhere to be found.

"I don't know," Steve replied to Todd as he started looking out at the crowd gathering. "But he better get here pretty darn quick if he wants to continue being our drummer."

"He only passed the audition," Todd replied. "That doesn't solidify him as our drummer."

"Isn't he like your best friend though?" Steve asked curiously.

"Doesn't matter," Todd answered. "He's still a drummer and he's still late."

At this point, Melinda Tucker (their bassist and lead singer), came up behind them and watched the people gathering beside them as well. They were not on stage (which was a trailer being rolled out onto the middle of the field at that moment); they were in the stands with the other people. Their equipment was in their friend's car and so with no equipment on them, they basically were just like the others in the stands. It was perfect for them to keep a low profile, and see how the people were managing so they could decide what to play. But without Apollo, it would be difficult to perform some songs more than others.

Melinda spoke into Todd's ear. "Maybe we should try calling him or something."

Todd lightly barked at her. "What the hell do think we've been doing for the past hour?"

Melinda tossed her head back, somewhat disgusted and offended by Todd's reaction. "Sorry," she said in a breath.

There was a couple more seconds of silence as the trio comprehended the pickle they found themselves in.

"Should we quit?" Steve asked politely.

"No," Todd responded. "We're a band and we never say die." Then, lowering his head in disappointment, Todd had to face the hard truth. "We'll just have to play without Apollo."

"Sucks man," Steve said in a bored monotone. "He was such a good drummer too.'

"Not to mention, he's my best friend," Todd told Steve. "But that doesn't cover up the fact that he's late. Now, does anyone know any of the songs we have on our set list on the drums?"

"I know 2," Melinda stated.

"1," Todd proclaimed.

"5," Steve said happily, realizing he would probably become the drummer for the night.

"Which ones?" Todd asked.

"The Green day one, The CCR one, the Beatles one, the AC/DC one, and the Ramones one," Steve replied.

"I'm not so good on the Green day song, and my singing is a little lackluster for Ramones music," Melinda explained.

"Do you at least have the nuts and bolts?" Todd acquired.

"Hell yeah," Melinda responded quickly and without care.

"Then let's go," Todd stated. At that, all three of them stood up from the seats and proceeded to head out of the stands and towards the vehicle on the field. As they went forward with the show, Todd had only one thing on his mind. _Where is Apollo? _That question stuck with him for the longest time, including their performance. It troubled him and concerned him greatly for Apollo was Todd's closest friend, and he knew more than ever that Apollo wouldn't have missed this show even if it mean the world was going to end. The fact that Apollo wasn't with them here only meant that something big was going down. _Please, _Todd prayed towards the heavens. _Please just let Apollo be ok._

* * *

Meanwhile, somewhere in the midst of the Sahara, Apollo woke up. He woke up feeling groggy, nauseated, and he woke up with pain filling the inside of his skull. It felt as though his cranium was being squeezed in a vice. Not only that, but for some reason he felt as though he was…_moving? _At this point, Apollo realized that he was indeed moving. He automatically recognized that he was in the bed of a pick-up truck, due to the uncomfortable texture and metallic qualities of whatever he was laying on. He also noticed that he was lying down backwards; with his head towards the tailgate and his feet towards the back mirror. He studied the drivers closely. They were not human. Their ears were pointed and their bodies seemed too disproportioned for them to be tall enough to drive the truck. He concluded that these must've been the pixies working for Opal. It only made sense. After all, the last thing he remembered was his father telling Loafers that Opal would find them if he kept the car. Oh how right he was.

He tried getting up to see where exactly he was, and where he was going. He got halfway up when he noticed that he was handcuffed to the rails which lay on either side of the bed of the pick-up truck. He also realized that his father was right next to him, and that his other hand was handcuffed to his father's. He gently tugged with the handcuffed hand, bringing his father out of unconsciousness. When he awoke, Artemis Fowl the Second woke up quickly and was immediately blinded by the sun and struck with the pain inside his head, causing him to squint and moan. Then he looked over at his son, and then he began to assess the situation. He realized that wherever they were, they had to escape. Wherever they were going would lead them to a fate much worse than death.

"Usually old trucks like these have poles in the bed which connect them to the bottom of the truck," Artemis explained to his son.

"So we can be detached, correct?" Apollo said.

"Correct," Artemis replied. "All we need is a coin of some sort and we can begin unscrewing."

Apollo began moving his hand, which in turned, caused his father's hand to move with him as he sifted around his pocket, looking for something to aid them. He found it in a quarter, and pulled it out to show to his father with glee.

Artemis Fowl smiled. Maybe they could escape this yet. Then, he looked back towards the drivers, and noted that this would not be an easy task. Sure, it would've been much simpler if there was only a driver. But with the added combination of the pixie riding shotgun, that meant that both would have to be extremely quiet.

Arty reached down with his mouth and bit the quarter. It was a hard stretch, but the yoga lessons he took as a young lad with Butler made the task very easy. Then, moving the quarter to the hand attached to the guard rails, he began to speak towards Apollo in a shaky but serious tone.

"Here's the plan," Artemis Fowl explained. Apollo nodded his head, showing his full attention. "While I work on this rail, you keep watch on the shot-gun pixie and tell me if he begins to look back. If he does look back, please continue to look as though you were passed out. Once I'm done with this pole, I'll hand you the quarter and you can work on yours. Then all we have to do is push off with our feet and by that time, since we are bouncing so hard, the guards won't even notice the noise; so we'll give one good kick and then we're home free. Got that?"

"Yep," Apollo stated.

Artemis took a deep breath. It was a usual occurrence because anytime he was about to begin a stress invigorating task, he would always take a deep breath. Then, in a sigh, he released it, and looked towards his son for the cue. Apollo looked up at the guards. They weren't noticing a thing.

"GO!" the teenager shouted.

And off he went. Artemis had a hard time simply getting the pole loose. It took a lot of strength. But once he felt the screw finally come loose, he got three good twists in before Apollo realized that the passenger was beginning to look back.

"STOP!" Apollo proclaimed.

As they flopped on the bed of the pickup truck, both Arty and his son played dead as best as they could. Apollo kept one eye squinting, giving off the illusion that he was out when in reality, he was looking at the pixie. The pixie looked for only a second, and then immediately went back to looking out the windshield of the truck.

"GO!" Apollo yelled.

Artemis immediately went back to the position he was in and got in four good rotations before the guard looked back once more.

"STOP!" Apollo shouted.

This time, the guard's look was longer and more analytical. It seemed that this time he truly felt something was amiss. A perpetual sixth sense must've identified him, but apparently his sixth sense was off, for he didn't notice any trouble, and quickly went back to looking out the windshield.

"GO!" Apollo screamed.

And with two more twists, the pole dropped from its position and was gone somewhere out along the road. Biting the quarter, Artemis brought it towards his son's face. Apollo was momentarily disgusted by this action. He had to take the quarter from his dad's mouth into his mouth. It was dreadful, but in order for them to survive, it had to be done. Apollo closed his eyes as he bit the quarter and pulled it away from Arty's mouth, completing the transaction. He moved the quarter to his hand by the pull, and then waited for his father's approval.

"GO!" Artemis Fowl proclaimed.

Surprisingly, the driver and his co-pilot didn't look back once. Apollo was able to unscrew the pole in no time. When it dropped away, Apollo felt slightly off balance. He understood that at that moment, since there was nothing securing them, the back of the truck was simply wobbling. All they needed was a good kick and they would be home free.

Apollo looked at his father, and Arty stared right back. They looked into each other's eyes. This was it, the moment, the point of no return. Soon, they would be free. They took a deep breath, and braced themselves for whatever was going to happen next.

They lifted their feet. They stared at the back window….

And then they kicked.

Amazingly, the kick was so powerful that instead of simply falling off the truck, or sliding off, Apollo realized that they got a good enough amount of air-time to be considered airborne. It must've been the adrenaline affecting them. In moments of stress, one could grow super human strength.

Once the bed collided with the ground, they began to slide. That's when they discovered, much to their horror, that when they landed, they struck the side of the hill, rather than the road, and they were now sledding down a large sand mountain. It was exhilarating. Dust was flying everywhere, clouding their vision. The downward slope was so steep that the speed was tremendous. Artemis's breath was lost momentarily. He feared that something bad was going to happen.

And he was right.

Halfway down the hill, the bed flew off the edge of a sand dune, causing the two to become airborne once more. The only difference was that this time, landing was unsuccessful. While in the air, they tilted, to the point where they landed upside-down. SMACK! The bed covered them and all they saw was black. Not only that, but the edge of the bed caught Apollo's fingers and broke his hand. The pain was sharp and fierce, but the adrenaline kept Apollo from crying aloud.

For the longest time, he and his father just laid down on their stomachs, inside the bed, in the darkness, doing nothing. It was fear, more than anything that kept them there. But also, they were listening. There were no strange sounds, and most of all, they didn't hear the trucks stop. In fact, they just heard them passing by. After a few minutes, everything finally became silent. Then, Artemis looked at his son and nodded his head.

It was a heavy lift, and a painful one at that, but the two managed to get the bed over them and down on the ground. Their arms were still attached, which caused a bit of a strain and kept them low to the ground, but it was nothing they couldn't handle.

Artemis looked out across the desert land. It might as well have been nothing more than an ocean of sand. It was desolate, it was massive, and now he and his son had to trek through it while pulling a truck bed. _Perfect, _Artemis thought sarcastically.

Artemis looked over at his son, who was staring at his now bleeding hand. Artemis touched it with his hand, which was handcuffed to it (this was going to become uncomfortable between the two of them really quickly), and began to heal it. As bones began to realign themselves, Artemis spoke. "Do you still have your phone on ya?" Arty asked his son.

Apollo reached into his pocket with the newly healed hand, and pulled out his cell phone. It took no longer than a millisecond for Apollo to realize that his battery power was gone. "BLAST!" Apollo proclaimed, pissed off. "dead."

"My phone appears not to be on my person," Arty spoke aloud. "and since my laptop was nowhere near me, there' no way for us to contact Foaly, or for him to contact us."

"So, is that the plan?" Apollo asked his father.

"Exactly," Arty concluded. "We need to find out where Holly, Melinda, Grub, and Trouble are at, and only Foaly has tabs on all of us and our current positions. If we can reach Foaly, he can bring us up to date on what just happened. But first, we need to find a phone."

Apollo looked out at where his father was looking, and finally comprehended the meaning of the saddened look on his father's face. The worst was not over yet. It was only beginning.

"So, we got to trek through this fucking wasteland to find a goddamn phone?" Apollo stated.

"That seems to be the logical conclusion," Artemis provided.

Apollo looked out at the desert for a longer time. Then, he sighed greatly. "Fuck it. Let's do this bitch," he finally stated. And with that, they began their treacherous walk.

* * *

**5 hours later**

"You see….I've been in the desert on…..a horse….with no name…felt good to …..be…..out of the….rain," Artemis and Apollo muttered weakly. They had been singing that song for the past two hours. When Apollo started it, Artemis was frankly, quite annoyed. But after awhile, Artemis joined in, realizing that music could be the only way to keep his sanity as he and Apollo walked through this evil landscape. At first, they could recite the entire song. But now, with electrolytes depleting and brain levels slowly dropping, all they could remember or recite was the chorus. And they did it over, and over, and over again.

There was no light way of putting it. They were going to die. They were sweating profusely, losing large amounts of water and energy from their bodies. They were getting exhausted and tired every second. The heat was the worst part, and the scorching sun only gave Apollo the worst sun-burn in history. They were in pain, and slowly they were losing their minds.

Artemis looked up at the unforgiving sun. Its merciless rays beamed directly down upon his eyes and he was temporarily blinded. He groaned in agony but kept trudging along, pulling the bed of the truck with them. Apollo breathed heavily, and felt his knee's beginning to buckle. He knew any second they were going to topple to the ground and he could no longer walk. But he had to, and so, trying to keep himself from falling over, he continued his steps.

And then they saw it.

Their savior had arrived in the form of the wreckage of a bi-plane. How a bi-plane got there, they would never know. Maybe it fell out of the sky and crashed during a tour of the Sahara. Whatever the case, Artemis beamed when he saw it and thought that the plan was the way of escaping. It had lost both of its wings and the propeller was slightly damaged. It had landed on its side as well. But Artemis was certain, that the plane was their escape. He rushed forward, causing Apollo to have to keep up with him, and after a minute of jogging, which left them both more exhausted than ever, they were standing as close to the plane as possible.

"There it is," Artemis breathed. "Our way out."

Apollo comprehended what his father said.

"…dad," he began. "I hate to be the one to rain on your parade, but I don't think this is going to work."

**How will Apollo and Artemis Fowl use the plane to manage their escape from the relentless Sahara? Found out next time on **_**Apollo! **_


	25. A Lousy Camel was all I found

**Back again. And I know I've stated this time and time again, but I am REALLY close to finishing this story. We got this chapter, then 2 more chapters which will be epic in length and content, because they are the final fight chapters. Then, we got an epilogue and that's that. The story will be over with, and I can finally get a break for a bit. I'll take a month long hiatus from fan fiction, then, if there are any brony's out here on fan fiction, I'll be starting up another MLP fic called 'Redemption,' and I will post it here and on FIMfiction. (my username on FIMfiction is BillyGoatHicks511). So, without further ado, here it is. The calm before the storm. The chapter leading up to the epic-ness of the two part grand finale. Here it is, chapter 25.**

**Song: "Magic Carpet Ride," by Steppenwolf.**

"_I love coming from a screwed up family, you know why? Because screwed up people have had enough problems in their lives to know the consequences. They know what can happen. When screwed up people see the shit just about to hit the fan, we step to the side of the fan. And all the poor normal people get covered in their own shit, and we just step in with this smirk and go, 'well, you learned something today didn't you. Uh, you got a little bit of it still on your cheek.'"_

_Christopher Titus_

"WOOO HOOO!' Apollo screamed in delight.

They duo were traveling down the desert lands in a fast manner on their newly constructed get-away plane. The construction and the business of how construction went was mainly carried out by Artemis, but, the initial planning, concept, and design came from none other than Apollo himself. It was a simply idea once Apollo finally got what his father was trying to say. The plane couldn't fly, but that didn't mean the plane couldn't ride. Once they had entered their vessel, they discovered to their delight, a box of tools and some water. Even though the water was warm, it still provided essential nutrients and electrolytes that their bodies would need in the terrible desert climate.

Finally, they began to work. One wing was missing, but that was ok. They only needed one wing anyways. They took the wheels and attached them to the side of the plane where the wing was missing, cause the other wing to be pointing upwards towards the sky, just as Apollo and Artemis intended for it to be. They made sure to do the same with the back wheels and carefully assessed that both sets of wheels were secure.

Then, they knocked off some parts of the tail, leaving only one tail-wing to swing and guide the plane. The large top wing would gather the wind, and much to their luck, Artemis realized from the change in climate that wind was coming their way. There would not be too much wind; no sandstorm, but just enough wind to push their plane. Apollo and Artemis ripped their shirts to wrap around the back wing to control steering, and once the wind hit, they were off.

The bi-plane had now become a giant parasail.

And it was fun. Even Artemis was smiling as he gripped the large back wing, and scoped out the land. He would occasionally shout to his son in the back, "LEFT! RIGHT!" giving his son the order to pull on his shirt-rope and navigate the vessel. Navigate where to? They were not so sure what could be found out in the desert wasteland, but they took the common-sense route, and when they saw it, followed the road. There was only one goal. It was a simple goal, but one that needed to be accomplished if Apollo and Artemis were to survive.

_Find a Phone._

* * *

**Meanwhile, back at Fowl Manor.**

Foaly rubbed his temples, hard. His headache was finally subsiding. The twins had been bringing in equipment and setting it up due to the order Artemis called out many hours ago. It took forever for Foaly to configure the puny and obsolete mud-men technology, but he finally did it. He could breathe a sigh of relief…..

…but only for a moment.

He had work to do. He booted up the equipment and began his quest to track down the Fowl family. He started by hacking into U.S and U.K defense technology; taking control of drones roaming the African content.

Piece of cake.

Then he hacked into the F.B.I. database and cross-referenced their last known whereabouts (using the fake names they used in Paris of course) with recently grabbed camera footage from the drones.

It was like taking candy from a baby.

Then finally, he hacked into the L.E.P. system software and used all the ear-pieces and head monitors, hoping to find the specific two he had specifically assigned to Artemis and Holly.

That was the tough part.

Meanwhile, the twins continued to carry in equipment. Sure, there was no more need for the twins to keep carrying in stuff. Foaly had all he needed. But the more the twins worked, the less they talked, and the less they talked, the less of a chance they had to argue, thus keeping Foaly calm, concentrated, and fully 100% focused and not distracted by the twins bickering. Plus, it was giving the twins a much needed work out.

See? Win-win situation.

Foaly sat at the desk, staring at the computer screen, and waited. He done everything he could do and could possibly do, and now all there was to do was wait. He waited for a sign. He waited for a moment. He waited for something, anything, or somebody, anybody, to confirm that Artemis and Apollo were alive. He had already discovered the where-abouts of Melinda and Holly, and it didn't look good. Now he had to break the news to Artemis and Apollo. But he could only do that if they were still alive as well. But where were they, and how would Foaly be able to break it to them.

Before he could even think about how to construct his sentences, an untraceable number called the house. The location of the call came from the middle of nowhere. To be more particular, the call came from the middle of the Sahara desert. It could be no-one else, and Foaly immediately answered the call.

"Hello," he stated quickly and anxiously, in a short breath.

On the other end, Artemis sounded as though he was out of breath. "Hey Foaly. Thank God I have found a way to re-establish contact with you." Behind Arty's voice, Folay could overhear a giant commotion. Yelling, screaming, the whole shebang; yet while most of it was in Arabic, occasionally he would hear the faintest trace of English.

"What's going on back there?" he asked out of sheer curiosity.

"What….oh uh…..nothing," Artemis responded. Back in the Sahara desert, Artemis turned his head and shushed out his son, who was speaking, borderline arguing, with the Palestinian man whom they had made contact with when their by-plane parasail crushed the checkpoint. "Our escape plan backfired on us when we accidently crashed into a check point," Artemis explained to Foaly. Then, after quieting his son one more time, he asked Foaly, "So, what's the latest news you've heard? How are things looking at Opal's lab? Is everything ok at home?"

"At home, everything is fine," Foaly stated as he shuffled about different computer monitors. He tried to gather us much information as he could possibly gather before stating the case to Artemis. After all, one diminutive detail could lead to their downfall if left unattended. Once Foaly had assembled his data, he told Artemis of the situation they had found themselves in.

"For Opal, things could not look worse for us," Foaly stated. "Holly and Melinda were taken to her base and as far as I know, they are being held captive. They're still alive but from the looks of their health monitors, something is amiss. Let's just assume that the worst hasn't happened yet."

For Artemis, assuming the worst was immediately what happened when he had learned of the news about his wife. Knowing Opal, and knowing the actions she displayed on the email she sent, Holly was in deep danger. And the mere thought of his wife being tortured and damaged caused Fowl's bile duct to rise and his anger to boil.

Still, however, he had a job to do, and if he did not acquire all of the facts he needed, something even worse might happened. "How horrendous does our situation grow?" he asked Foaly demandingly.

"It only goes from bad to worse," Foaly replied. "It looks like Opal is packing shop and heading out. The train cars which lead to the base, instead of sending gifts, the guards are packing them; along with the four remaining hybrids, still in their individual tanks. What's more is that they are heading out in mass production, so my guess is that something big is about to happen, and If I were the rest of the gang that was still inside that plant, and I would defiantly want to be out of there before the big reveal."

Artemis thought about this for a long time. Silence was all that could be heard from the other end. Finally, Artemis came to a conclusion. "Those trains, do you have any idea where they are heading?"

"Not a clue," Foaly stated. "But it can't be a good thing."

"Then the trains must be stopped," Artemis conclude.

"No duh," Foaly replied hatefully. The stress of the situation was causing the poor centaur to go mental. "What's your take on how we shall accomplish this, hmm? There's no one we can go to for help."

"That's where you're wrong," Artemis corrected his friend. "As far as I know, N01 is clean with us." When Artemis said this, the pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place in Foaly's skull. "Contact him, and tell him to only bring himself and a few trusted members of section 8 and order them to take down the trains. Their highest priorities are the hybrids. Make sure to stress the importance of that. They must get out of those train cars safely."

"Affirmative," Foaly replied as he already began to work away his magic on the computers as he tried to make contact with N01. "What about you?" Foaly inquired. "What are you going to do?"

"Seeing as how my wife is now in harm's way, I'm going to do what's right, just, and natural," Arty stated with conviction in pride. "It may not be considered the logical and or reasonable think to do. To be perfectly honest, in my opinion, it's downright stupid, but it needs to be done." Then, he said his last words with a serious and somber attitude. He spoke so clearly and so fluently that Foaly realized as much as he wanted to argue against Arty's plan, it certainly was for the best.

"I'm going to save my wife," Artemis concluded.

"I'd highly suggest not going this route alone," Foaly declared.

"Well, that's just great," Artemis proclaimed on the other end. His mind floated back on thoughts of Loafers Maguire. "We don't have to go alone."

* * *

It had taken the duo two hours to find the mountain range where Loafer's tribe thrived and flourished. The ride felt even longer due to the fact that the only person to provide them the ride was the Palestinian whom they had crashed into earlier. He was righteously furious, and for good reason. So, instead of driving them up to the mountain cliff, he got as close as he could on the road, and then he pulled off the road and kicked them out.

From there, it was a 30 minute walk on foot. After 30 minutes, they had arrived in Loafer's kingdom and were greeted with saddened faces. The atmosphere was gloomy. Everyone seemed weak and worn out. Destruction met them at every corner. Everywhere they turned, a scene of previous chaos filled their vision. It was a nightmare.

As the continued down the spiral cliff side, Apollo noticed something so shocking and downright bizarre, he spoke for the first time in 2 and a half hours.

"Why did they not touch the car?" Apollo asked aloud.

Artemis turned his head, and noticed the Bentley in mint condition; Not a single scratch on it. It truly was a bizarre spectacle, made even more so when they heard the voice of Loafer's Maguire coming to greet them.

"They left it as a reminder," Loafers exclaimed as he walked up the hill. Both father and son turned their heads to see the saddened chief come towards them. "Which is also why they left me as well," Loafers continued. Then, he stopped in front of them. "They left us both, me and the car, to remind us that they will return, and will strike ten times harder than they did last time." He brought his face down to his hands. "This is madness," he proclaimed. "My people are tired and many are dead. She's only going to come back and make it worst. There's nothing we can do."

Artemis laid his hand on the chief's shoulder, trying to consol the grief stricken man. "Save your people," Artemis decreed. "We can put a stop to this tonight. We are attacking Opal's base and-"

Before Artemis could finish, Loafer's shouted back, "We can't help you! We are weak and tired! My people wish to no longer fight. My people can't assist you!"

And then, once again, Artemis was interrupted before he could state what he had on his mind. However, it was for the better, and this time, he was interrupted by his son, whose intense glaring at the car left a strange impression upon him. "We don't need your people!" Apollo announced as he continuously gazed at the car. Then, he walked forwards towards it, and placed his hands upon it. He was in deep thought, and judging from the way Apollo moved, Artemis could tell that his son was working on a great idea.

Once again, the Irish genius was never wrong. "All we need is you and the car," Apollo said as he turned around to meet his father and Loafers. A big white smile was painted on Apollo's face. "I think it's time 'Opal,' paid herself a visit."

* * *

**What mischief is Apollo up to and how will it aid our hero's? find out in the next chapter of Apollo! The great thing about how close I am to completing this fic is that, if I'm lucky, I might be able to finish this on my birthday. Coincidently, my birthday falls upon Arty's birthday as well (SEPTEMBER FIRST BABY! WOOT!). and, in an even stranger case of coincidence, that date also happens to be the anniversary of when I first posted this story. How awesome would that be if the last chapter was posted on that date? Don't answer that because I will answer it for you. IT WOULD BE TOTALLY F***ING RAD!**

**See you all later, peace be with you,**

**Welcometofightclub. **


	26. The End Part 1

**Hello all you lovely internet people. Here it is. The first part of the epic conclusion is here. I really hope you enjoy this. It has a lot of action in it with some snappy dialogue. On a side note, I won't be able to complete this on time. I thought it would be awesome finishing it September 1****st****, but sadly, my trip to Cleveland took a lot out of me and I also have to sell yearbook ads for our school. *gag reflex* but whatever. Enough babbling. Here it is.**

**Song: "Serenata Immortale," by: Immediate Music.**

"_I was talking to my dad and he was like 'I'm so sorry Donald. It's just, thing are crazy right now. The end is coming son. And I just want to say I'm sorry that you have to be alive right now. It's the worst time to be alive.' That is CRAP! It's the best time to be alive right now as a human being. It totally is. Do you guys realize that, just a couple hundred years ago, people could come into your village, township, whatever you want to call it, but they could come in there, rape your wife, kill her, sell your children into slavery, and people would just be like 'well…..what did you expect? It's nighttime! My hands were tied because the sun went down.' People couldn't get away with that today. We have twitter. It would be everywhere. 'Man, these guys killed my mother and my and my brothers are in slavery….wtf.'_

_Donald Glover_

* * *

The guards stayed at their position just as commanded even after hearing the news that Opal was leaving the compound. She told them directly to not move under any circumstances until she addressed them face to face otherwise. Standing at attention could become a gruesome bore, especially since all the guards could see was just dessert wasteland. However, they had a mission, and like any good soldier, they would not stop until the objective was cleared and completed.

As they stood their ground, they soon began to realize that today would be different. Today there would be some action. There was a strange disturbance in the air that made the atmosphere feel like electricity. As they scanned with their heads, searching for what the disturbance might be, they found it. Out in front of them, millions of yards away, a large dust cloud appeared to be moving in. since this dust cloud was being accompanied by the noise of a running engine and tires treading, it came as no surprise that whatever was coming towards them, had to be a vehicle. Problem was, this vehicle was no ordinary vehicle. This was Opal's car! The 1927 Bugatti Royale with a red paint job and white wall tires came roaring towards them. But the dust emitting around the car made it hard for them to see who was driving it. It most certainly couldn't have been Opal. Just a few hours ago, Opal ordered that the entire base was to be shifted towards an undisclosed location and resume production there. There was no way that she was the one driving the car. Not to mention, wasn't the car missing or something? So, to be on the safe side, rather than the sorry side, the guards cocked and loaded their guns and as the vehicle kept approaching them, they readied themselves for battle.

After a few seconds, the vehicle had finally stopped in front of them. Unfortunately, at that moment, the dust caught up and their vision was blinded. They coughed and they hacked for quite some time until finally the dust settled, both physically and metaphorically. That is when the guards received one of the biggest shocks of their lives. Apparently no one was guiding the car. It was simply impossible though. Someone had to have been driving. Was a ghost behind the wheel?

They peered over, trying to find some sense out of this illusion. And they received their explanation immediately; with a gun butted in their faces.

Apollo, Artemis, and Loafers rose from their seats and peered over the recently knocked out guards. Apollo laughed at their unconscious forms. It gave the teenager a radical boost in moral. Before the journey Apollo feared that the mission would be hard and impossible to perform. But now, Apollo felt that this mission would be the easiest yet.

Artemis, however, was not as naive as his son. He knew very well that the mission wasn't over; far from it in fact. They had yet to view the compound from the inside.

* * *

Once inside, Apollo's morale dropped substantially as he and his father realized something was amiss. Everyone was gone. The compound was a virtually ghost town. All that was left was a few machines and what appeared to be a large assembly line which lead to a furnace. The assembly line was inactive and apparently out of operation. Placed on that large assembly line, was a gargantuan black barrel. For a moment, Apollo thought about leaving the line and checking what was inside said barrel, but his father and loafers were rushing really fast, and Apollo had to keep his attention focused on his father, in order to keep up.

"Something's wrong here," Artemis stated aloud. It was a fact well known by this point, but it still needed to be addressed. "Where is everybody?"

"I don't know; Corporate retreat?" Apollo said, trying to bring some light humor to the situation.

The humor did not last, however, as the trio moved down a darken corridor. They basically were scanning the place, trying to find the most important assets of their mission; Opal's hostages. For unknown reasons, Artemis thought that they would be at the farthest corner of the compound; or perhaps underground. As they continued down the corridor, Artemis realized that they were impending upon something large and vast. It was a safe. The safe also had a ventilation system, meaning that whatever lied behind the safe, needed air.

He grabbed the lever and prepared to tug as hard as he ever could. Thankfully, he fell on his ass for then he realized that the door was left open. As it swung open, it showed Apollo and Loafers one of the most gruesome sights that they ever had witnessed.

Melinda, Julius, Mulch, Trouble, and Grub, were all bound up in chairs, beaten and bruised half to death.

Apollo gasped and immediately rushed into the room, towards Melinda and Juliet. His father and Loafers came in soon afterwards, and like Apollo, they assisted in removing the bindings from the captive hostages.

Apollo was confused. He was disgusted and attracted at the same time. He was attracted for he was in the presence of Melinda. HE was disgusted for Melinda had been damaged, badly. A large black eye covered the left side of her face. He nose was broken as self evident by the dried blood. Many cuts and lacerations were all over the body including a giant gash on her knee. Amazingly however, there was not one broken bone.

"Jesus," Apollo breathed. "You look terrible."

Melinda laughed, in an airy voice. "How charming," she stated. "You'll be getting the girls pretty quickly with that attitude."

Apollo laughed back. "I apologize. Honesty is unfortunately my policy."

At that point, Apollo turned his head as he heard a gruff coming from his left as Artemis assisted Mulch to his feet. Mulch finally found that he could stand. Though damaged, he was in shape; just enough to tell Artemis the most important news.

"Holly is gone," he stated.

"What?" Artemis screamed in shock.

"She was taken by Opal's right hand man….or in this case, pixie," Grub stated as he got up from his chair.

"His name is Rose; and don't let the name fool ya," Trouble announced as he showed Artemis one of his scars. It was a gash along his neck. "He's one rough son of a bitch."

"He beat all the magic being to hell first so that way we would have no magic left to heal our wounds and or Juliet's and Melinda's wound," Julius made well known as he stumbled towards upright standing.

"Don't worry," Artemis replied as blue sparks flashed from his fingertips onto Trouble's neck wound. "You're in luck. I just enough magic to heal all of you guys and Holly."

"Well, you better find Holly fast," Juliet explained. "Opal's plan is to take Holly with her to her new base and keep her alive long enough to see Opal succeed. And then, she's gonna kill her. But that's not all. As soon as Opal's helicopter is far enough away, the whole building is set to explode."

"Huh," Apollo shouted, bamboozled. "Why?"

Mulch rushed towards the lad and brought him down to his eye level. He gripped Apollo's shoulders firmly, hoping that he was being direct enough to capture Apollo's focus. It worked like a charm. "Picture yourself as Opal," he commanded. "you're on the verge of ruling the earth and you're an egotistical, jackass, megalomaniac so you want a grand spectacle of that final piece of the puzzle coming together. However, a few meddling kids disrupt your practices in the Sahara and now you have to move shop. Problem is, once you leave your base, it's basically open for the public. You kept it hidden for so long because you cared for its invisibility because you're working there. But now that you're not there, you have to dispose of the evidence. Get it yet?"

"So she's basically going out with a bang, literally." Apollo suggested.

"Exactly," Mulch confirmed.

"But that's impossible," Artemis stated as he made his way from Grub and Trouble, to now Melinda and Juliet. "First of all, it's not exactly a subtle way of keeping a secrete. And secondly, in order to bring down a facility such as this one, you would need 40 or 50 military grade devices all wired for simultaneous detonation."

And that's when Apollo had his first truly real epiphany. "..Unless one centrally placed device used all of the facilities energy into one massive explosion. For instance, if someone placed a bomb on an assembly line." Apollo said this sentence with a smile.

Artemis got it as well, and smiled greatly too. "_Then _it would look like an accident."

"It's official," Grub stated as he made sure his newly healed legs would hold up. "Someone's gotta go get the bomb, and someone's gotta get the girl."

"I vote for myself grabbing the bomb," Apollo said as he raised his hand.

Artemis was awestruck.

"You gotta save Holly, she's your wife," Apollo stated. "Be her knight in shining armor. Question is, who goes with whom?"

Artemis's thought processes don't take long. In only three seconds, he was able to mentally compile a list of all the different variations of teams, and found the perfect ones.

"3 people to each of us son," Artemis directed. "Melinda, Juliet, Trouble, you come with me. Apollo, you get Mulch, Julius, and Grub."

And they were off.

* * *

Opal walked towards her chopper with pride, conviction, and happiness. The once miraculously strong Holly Short was now being held in submission by her personal guard Rose. Whenever Opal thought of Rose, she knew immediately that his name was almost insulting for such a stature or nature that he possessed. He was a rather tall pixie (since the average height of any pixie was around 3 feet, Rose stood out head and shoulders above the rest, coming in at 4'5; deemed a freak by nature and forced into hiding until Opal found him in prison), and there was absolutely no charisma to the guy (he couldn't hold a decent conversation if his life depended upon it), and his odor, facial features, and personal hygiene were incredibly repulsive to anyone.

But not Opal.

Sure, she was forced into fits of gagging when breathing in the toxic fumes of Rose's body, and yes his dull witted nature and terribly ugly face drove Opal mad (though she already was), but Opal respected Rose for she knew what exactly he possessed. She knew what he was. He wasn't a hit-man, or a guard. He was a force of nature to be reckoned with. He was trouble on two feet. He was simply, the greatest killer known to fair kind. His hands could basically be registered as lethal weapons if the fairy government proposed to do so.

And just as Rose was a force of nature physically, Opal was a force of nature mentally. Indeed, her psychological nature and blemishes sent many to the asylums alone. But her intellect and luminosity gave her the winning edge that only a mad fool could possess. Soon, Holly, though shaking, screaming, kicking, and biting, would be forced onto her helicopter and subdued. Soon, Opal would be millions of miles away when her old base would be blown to bits; killing those infuriating pest along with it. Soon, she would rebuild. Soon, she would gain eternal life through eternal power. And soon, the world would be hers and hers alone.

Soon.

She was at the very tippy-top of her compound. The helipad laid ontop of the giant needle-like tower which stood in the middle of her entire operation, and on top of her main building which became the powerhouse of her plant. When she was within three good steps away from entering the helicopter, a voice rang out from behind her, and Opal realized that "soon," wouldn't be soon enough.

"Hey Opal!" Artemis Fowl shouted.

She turned around, frustrated and exasperated by his presence. She knew that Arty would come see her, and she knew that there was a slight possibility that a meeting such as this one would be inevitable, but it still annoyed her. Once she was fully turned, she notice that her bitter revial was paired up with Trouble, Juliet, and Melinda. It was strange to see him with such an athletic and combative group of people, but it only made her smile. The fight that would soon ensue would most defiantly be an enjoyable one. She stood, waiting for the lad to finish his sentence.

"Give me back my wife," he proclaimed.

Opal laughed to herself lightly while checking her fingernails. "Why Artemis," she explained, "You know the rules of conduct in a matter such as the one you find yourself in. If you want Holly back, I'll be more than happy to return her to you." Then, she made eye contact from far away. "In Pieces."

She gave a whistle and a snap of her fingers, and soon, Rose came back out of the winding-up helicopter, with the weakened Holly in his position by one hand. From such a distance, Artemis could not make out the exact concrete-nature of her damages, but he could tell that she was badly injured by the way Holly limped when Rose was ordered by Opal to bring Holly closer to her. Up close, one could see that she received a bashed in Knee like many others, multiple stab wound in her side, a slash along her face and above all else, some missing teeth and a black eye.

When Holly was right next to Opal's side, Opal pulled out from her pocket a knife. She wielded the knife close to Holly's face. "So what piece shall you like to have first?" Opal asked sinisterly. "I could give you her eyes, or maybe her entire face? Do you want a finger, a hand, maybe even a-"

Right at that moment, Melinda timed her strike perfectly and sent one of her many throwing knives that were packed inside her combat corset under armor, into the hand of Opal's which wielded the knife. The attack was so intense it knocked the weapon out of Opal's hand right in mid sentence, while causing her to drop the knife. The blade had fully gone through the back of Opal's hand and the tip of the blade was perpetrating out of Opal's palm.

She screamed in agony, anger, and shock. She pulled the hand back and removed the blade almost immediately. Then she gazed intensely into the eyes and soul of her attacker, Melinda Butler.

The red-head teenager assassin smiled. "Enough with the small talk," she stated. "Give us Holly."

With enough anger and bile that she could muster, Opal shouted, "How about I give you Rose instead?" She then motioned her head and Rose ran towards them like a hound from hell.

* * *

Meanwhile, downstairs, Apollo and his group ran back towards the main room and he along with Mulch and Julius hopped onto the conveyer belt. They got close to the object containing the explosives and looked down at the lid. It was locked with 5 giant bolts.

"Crap," Apollo said with irritation. He knew that logically, there would be no way the container would be left unlock. Still, however, bolts were easily the hardest to remove, especially giant freight-train, NASCAR-tire sized bolts such as these.

"It appears we would need the presence of an impact wrench," Julius stated.

"Preferably, one that's battery operated," Mulch concurred, realizing that an Impact wrench powered by an air compressor would cause some trouble.

"I noticed one on the way in here," Grub proclaimed with delight. "It was in a toolbox next to the entrance." Turning, he said, "I'll go get it."

But just as soon as Grub began to make way for that Impact wrench, a loud _PING_ was heard by everyone. Following after it, came an automated female voice which seemed to be coming from out of nowhere.

"Hello," the computerized voice said. "This is the SRS conveyer belt model 272."

Apollo felt awkward. "Hi…..nice computer lady," Apollo replied back.

"Your pre-scheduled furnace disposal for 10am, Wednesday, October 19th 2011, is now being initiated," The computer voice continued.

Suddenly, a loud crash was heard and Apollo felt the ground underneath him move. He stumbled for a bit before he regained his composure. He realized that the conveyer belt had started to move. Ahead of them, he could faintly see and make out the fire and flames coming from the furnace, which they were being lead towards.

Apollo's pupil's dilated in fear.

"BETTER HURRY UP ON THAT IMPACT WRENCH!" Apollo shouted to Grub.

Grub took off like a hound from hell.

* * *

Melinda and Juliet were ultimately prepared for whatever jabs Rose would throw at them. They successfully dodged his first few attacks. He came at Melinda with a simple, but powerful right hand punch. Melinda blocked that with her left hand, lotus style, and counteracted with a jab to the neck. As he stumbled back, he changed targets and went after Juliet with another punch. She counteracted by grabbing the hand, turning his body around and pushing him towards Melinda, who attacked with a jumping, spinning kick to his face. He then went after Melinda with a flying right elbow to her face, which she dodged amazingly,

Or so she thought.

It was a fake. With Melinda so preoccupied moving away from Roses elbow, she ran straight into his other attack; a rising knee to her gut. Already in a heighten state of pain, Melinda felt all the air leave her body and she almost passed out.

At that point, Rose turned his knee into a swinging axe kick to her face. With the addition of his military style combat boots, it left a good impression on her forehead, and caused her to stumble back, dazed.

He felt a searing pain go through his entire body and automatically recognized that he had been kicked in the nuts from behind. Juliet, the prosecutor of such the attack, smiled as the amazed Rose turned to face Juliet, baffled.

She removed her foot from his groin and, while using the same foot, crescent-mooned kicked him twice in the face (once rotating clockwise, another rotating counterclockwise) and then tornado kicked him with her other leg, spiraling downwards.

He got pushed back by the force of Juliet's attack, and ended up in a father-nelson lock, being controlled by the one and only, Melinda Butler. As he struggled to break free, Melinda told her mother, "Don't go easy on him."

And she didn't.

She got a sweet left uppercut to his face, followed by a few immediate jabs to the same area and several punches to his gut. But just at that moment, he finally broke free from Melinda's grasp, and flipped her over, and on top of her mother.

They both got up immediately, avoiding Rose's falling foot. Melinda and Juliet got on both sides of Rose and the battle ensued. He came at Melinda with a punch. She blocked it and counteracted with a punch to his face. He came at Juliet, with a punch. She reacted just the same. Finally, Rose decided to pull out all of his stops. He threw another punch at Juliet and waited for her counteract, and at that moment, he ducked low and swooped her off her feet with a lower spinning kick. Before she struck the ground, like lightning, Rose grabbed Juliet by her own two feet and swung her towards her daughter. They collided like a bowling ball would collide with bowling pins. They laid on the ground and groaned in pain.

As this was happening on the helipad, approximately a few feet away from them, Trouble and Artemis gave a mad dash towards Holly, who, sleepily, was being placed inside the chopper by Opal. The pixie smiled at her work and made her way towards the pilot's chair. She saw Artemis and Trouble running towards her, and turned around and gave Arty a jab in the eye, and Trouble a chocking grasp, throwing him to the ground. As the two men hesitated in their pain, Opal got in the helicopter and began to take off.

Artemis, not wanting to give up so easily, threw his fist at the unbreakable window's and realized, sadly, that they were indeed unbreakable. But that didn't faze him yet. Noting that the copter was going up, he decided to go up with it as well, and as the landing bars flew towards him, he ducked and grabbed the bars tightly and held on for dear life as he began to be pulled up into the air. He spun around and the bars knocked the rising Trouble in the forehead, pushing him down once more.

Opal noticed Artemis grabbing on from below and continued spinning around, hopping she would throw the man off. As soon as Trouble regained footing, he timed his jump and joined Fowl but on the left side of the craft.

Now, Opal was holding up two men on either side of her helicopter while Rose battled two expert fighters a few feet away.

This was not going well at all.

* * *

Though it was a stupid and simply ridiculous act of stress and panic, Apollo tried opening the lid with his bare hands. He was not the only one performing this act of stupidity. Julius and Mulch, both in fear of being consumed by the flames of the furnace, pulled on the tightened down lids themselves.

Apollo let go and breathed heavily. "This isn't going to work," he said aloud.

"You think!" Mulch retorted sarcastically.

Suddenly, "Fellas! Fellas!"

All three on the conveyer belt turned to see Grub running towards them with the battery operated impact wrench. "I got it," the elf screamed manically, waving the tool about in the air. "I got it!"

"Good," Julius replied. "Now throw it over here!"

Grub was not stupid, and noted that if he threw it while running; the object would retain his momentum, along with the momentum executed by his throw. And while it helped out some, the drill still landed a good 3 feet away from the gang on the conveyer belt.

Running back to the explosive container was easy for Apollo. Running towards the drill was tough. Being that he was already on the conveyer belt, the act of running against the current cause Apollo to 'tread the waters,' for quite some time, even though he was only a few feet away. But once he finally broke his stride, he reached for the drill, got it, and headed back towards the gang in which they proceeded removing the bolts.

Even though the drill was battery operated, it still retained some power, and the trio managed to remove 4 out of the eight bolts before Apollo realized that they were only a few feet away from the entrance of the furnace. His heart raced along with his mind.

"HURRY UP!" Apollo screamed to himself as he removed the bolts.

He had managed to take off two more before everything went black. He looked up for a quick moment, and realized that they were within the belly of the beast. They were in the furnace, but there was no fire.

Another _ping _was heard, followed by the voice of death.

"Uh-oh," Mulch stated.

"Waste removal will begin in 17 seconds," the automatic computer voice stated.

Apollo was back in action and was on the verge of soiling himself by the time he removed the last bolt. "Please leave the furnace entrance or be incinerated,"

"WE KNOW THAT COMPUTER LADY!" Apollo shouted in fear as he, Mulch, and Julius tugged on the lid, prying it open.

This was not going well at all.

* * *

Opal had pulled out a gun from the glove compartment of the helicopter and had begun shooting blindly at the side Artemis held on to. She no longer cared about the objective of keeping Holly as a hostage and having her witness the downfall of fairy-kind and humanity as well. She just wanted Artemis DEAD!

Her constant shooting effected her driving and the helicopter began to rock wildly. This, however, did not throw off Trouble and he had finally pulled himself up to a strange position on the right side of the helicopter and pulled out his Neutro blaster from his left side and blew a hole into the widow. He carefully kept himself up by wrapping his right leg around the bar under him while gripping the door handle tightly. He reached in through the broken glass and had unlocked the door. It flew open and Trouble almost flew out. Luckily, his right leg gripped the bar so tightly that Trouble suspended himself upside down, dodged the opening door, and with enough abdominal strength to arouse the greatest of gymnast, pulled himself back up and into the helicopter.

He went towards Holly slowly, and pulled her tight towards him while trying to find that infuriating belt buckle Opal had placed on her. The demented pixie at this point was still firing at Artemis, and didn't see that Trouble was aiding Holly in her escape.

She didn't notice, _until _her eyes darted up for the briefest second and noticed through the rearview mirror, Trouble clutching Holly tightly while trying to remove her from her seat.

Opal changed targets and shot at Trouble in the back seat, who ducked and missed the bullet. Opal's change in poster affected the air-craft and tilted it towards its right side, the same side with the open door. Trouble and Holly spilled out of the chopper and began to fall.

Trouble knew that the landing was going to be bitter and painful for him. They were certainly high up and while it wouldn't do much damage, it would still cause some. But if he held Holly tight enough, maybe he could suppress the impact of the fall from her and keep her from feeling pain.

And he was right. It certainly hurt for him. He felt his back snap and thought he was paralyzed, (fortunately for him, he wasn't. he just received a major back injury and would just need assistance in standing up). Holly however, was completely fine. In fact….it appeared as though she was trying to stand.

Artemis saw the duo fall from the helicopter, and let go of the bar and made his way down too. As he fell, Opal concluded that a measly peasant annoyance such as Holly Short was not worth jeopardizing her entire operation and decided to fly off. Artemis watched from the ground as the chopper became smaller and smaller as it made its way into the distance, and he smiled, knowing that somehow, he achieved a small victory. He retained something.

And then he retained a punch to the face.

Rose, feeling that he was finished with the two girls, made his way towards the real target; Artemis. The genius, who had slid across the ground from the force of the attack, wiped the blood away from his mouth and then noticed a giant boot coming towards his face. He screamed, and dodged the boot which landed on the right side of his face.

* * *

Downstairs, Apollo, Julius, and Mulch, finally removed the lid and were shocked by what they saw. Several explosives were duct-taped to the inside of the container, and would detonate one the fire of the furnace struck them. Apollo felt like he was going to pass out. It was just too much for him to handle.

And it was about to get worst.

"11 seconds from activation," the computer rang.

Apollo looked towards his colleges.

"JUST GRAB ALL OF IT AND RUN!" Apollo directed.

The countdown continued.

10…

Apollo stuffed several of the explosives into the lap of his shirt, turning it into a pouch, while Mulch and Julius simply stuck the devices underneath their armpits. Upstairs, Artemis dodged another kick, this time to the left side of his face, and started scooting back while using his hands.

9…

The trio rushed to see if they had retained all the explosives from the insides. Artemis kept scooting back while Rose kept trying to land axe kicks to either side of his face.

8…

Apollo noticed that they got all the explosives and made a run for it, hoping to god or the gods that he wasn't dropping any of them along the way. Mulch and Julius took note and ran with him. Upstairs, Artemis continued to scoot; Rose continued to strike.

7…

Apollo could see the light. They were going to make it. Upstairs, Artemis received quite the surprise and noticed that he had reached the edge of the tower.

6…

Artemis concluded that Rose and planned this out all along. He had simply trapped Artemis and now he was going to bash his brains in with the heel of his boot. he smiled at the defenseless Artemis as blood continued to pool in his mouth.

5…

Tears began to pool from Apollo's eyes as he struggled to make it to the end of the tunnel. They were close, so close. Suddenly, the air stiffened around him, and while sprinting, he noticed that he furnace was preparing itself to turn on. Meanwhile, up on the landing pad, Rose began to raise his knee.

4…

Apollo yelled in animalistic nature as he reached the end. Artemis squinted in fear as Rose prepared to kick. Then, suddenly, Artemis noticed something.

3…

A pair of hands, clasping each other to form one large mega-fist appeared above the head of Rose. Downstairs, Apollo jumped.

2…

Apollo, Julius, and Mulch, were one second away from landing safely outside the furnace. Upstairs, a voice called out from behind rose, causing him to lower his foot and turn around.

1…

"HEY!" Holly cried. When Rose turned to greet whoever it was, Holly landed her blow against Rose's face. He stumbled, tripped over Artemis behind him, and fell towards his death over the side of the tower. Downstairs, flames erupted from the furnace and missed the trio by barely an inch. Mulch felt his butt-hair singed and he ducked and covered, waiting for the worst to be over with.

After a few seconds of continuous flaming, the machine finally died down. The computer voice rang one last time, "thank you," and it was all over.

A few seconds of silence became apparent due to the stress of the situation Apollo and the gang downstairs went through. Then, Apollo broke the silence by laughing in relief, and the rest of the gang joined end, erupting with applauding, congratulations, and victory cries of joy!

* * *

Meanwhile, upstairs, Holly stood for only a few moments. Artemis looked up at his lover and wife, surprised by her appearance. She looked down at her husband….and laughed lightly. It was finally over. She admired what had just transpired with gladness and joy….

And then collapsed and passed out.

Artemis immediately crawled over to her and analyzed her body. She had grown weak and faint and was now upon the precipice of death. Artemis, not thinking, only feeling (for one of those rarest moments), placed a kiss upon his wife's dying lips. His magic, whatever amount was left, surged within him and brought his wife back to life. He scares healed over and her tired nature disappeared instantly.

When Artemis pulled away, and she opened her eyes, and when she found herself within the arms of her husband, looking up at him, she had only one thing to say.

"Why do I always have to save your ass?"

They laughed, quietly at first, and then greatly, overwhelmed by the giant sense of accomplishment and relief. After a while, Trouble, Juliet, and Melinda laughed as well, realizing that it was finally over.

* * *

Once they all got downstairs, they piled into the 1927 Bugatti Royale, and Loafer's drove them out of the facilities, and into the Sahara desert.

* * *

**Well. There it is. Part one in the epic two part series finally. I've written it so if you like; you can skip the next chapter and go to the epilogue. But, if you want more action, more excitement, plus a jaw dropping twist that you never saw coming, stay tuned for the newest and most exciting chapter of APOLLO! Coming soon.**

**If I'm lucky, I might get this finished on time. It doesn't seem likely though. Oh well, expect the next chapter to come out some within the first week of September. In other news, I GOT PASSED THE 200****TH**** REVIEW MARK! WOOT! Thank you all for getting me there. I'm not going to mention any specific names, but you know who you are. I do, however, want to give a special shout out to BeckettSimpleton for being a good friend and keeping a lot of contact with me while I typed this. You've helped me out a lot and became an amazing overseas friend. Thank you.**

**With many regards,**

**Welcometofightclub. **


	27. The End part 2 The real end

**Well Guys, it's finally here. 2 years and 26 chapters later, we have reached the end. The actual final chapter. And it's a weird one. Usually chapters end with more of a resolve and tell more about where the characters head. But I decided to save that for the epilogue. So here it is; the climax; the magnum opus of all the chapters; the culmination of awesomeness that was **_**"Apollo." **_**It's been a fun ride; with it's ups and downs. But now it is time for me to move on and work on other stories for other fandom's. If I find the time, school sounds like it's going to be a major bitch. But whatever. **

**I love you all, peace,**

**Welcometofightclub. **

**Song: "Mind Heist," Artist: Zack Hemsy.**

"_In their last moments, people show who they really are." _

_The Joker_

In Apollo's mind, they had been driving across the desert for what seemed like endless hours. The sad part was the ride would last a lot longer than what they've experienced so far. It would officially be early morning by the time the gang finally would arrive home to sleep, and Apollo was looking very much forward to it. Sleep depravity did not sit well with him.

Basically, he was just bored, riding in the back along with Grub, Mulch, Melinda, Juliet, and Trouble. Meanwhile, Artemis, Holly, Julius, and Loafers rode up front. The car was meant to hold only 4 to maybe five passengers. There were 10 at the moment. Thus, the car was crowed and many had to sit on each other's laps, much to the disgust of a few, (however, Holly wasn't complaining about the fact that she and Arty could act like first-time lovers once more).

Apollo shifted back and forth between listening to his IPod (which somehow, after all they been through, managed to survive), napping, and finally, speaking to Melinda. It took so bravery on his part to do so. He got really nervous and fidgety around Melinda. However, once he started, and she replied back, there was no stopping them.

They talked about many things, but mostly, Apollo got to hear the details of Melinda's torture; much to his dislike. Hearing about how she was damaged caused his stomach to twist and turn into knots. The thought of Melinda being in pain drove him crazy. But for Melinda, she simply didn't care.

"It comes with the job," she explained. "The first time I was tortured for information, I was around 13 years old. Around the first year I was living with my mother, and about halfway though my training, these guys tried getting to Artemis and they mistook me for his daughter. So, while we were away on a business trip, they nabbed me in a bathroom and basically chloroformed me. When I came to, about 3 hours had passed and I was in a janitor stall. They were amateurs. They placed the gun to my head, slapped me around a little bit, yadda, yadda, yadda. Then my mom came in and whipped their assess. She was nabbed too, in case you were wondering how she could've misplaced her daughter for more than three hours."

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Apollo began, "But wasn't that the same year you got your first kill?"

"Not only that," Melinda responded, "My first kill happened exactly one day after that incident."

"Seriously!" Apollo proclaimed; dumbfounded by the coincidence.

"Yep," Melinda retorted with a smug nod. "It was the same group of guys. They got away from the cops and found Artemis as he was getting into his Bentley. Basically, I threw a throwing knife right when the maniac started screaming and running down the street towards us, cut that mutha's throat right in half." Then, everything went silent for a moment. "Of course, some people saw, so Artemis had to ask Foaly for some help in getting a retrieval team to do a mind wipe. Meanwhile, my mom taught me how to successfully hide a body."

"…..and How do you do that?" Apollo asked timidly, unsure if he wanted to hear the answer.

"You dissolve it," she replied in a matter-of-factly way. "You cut off the arms and legs, and stuff the torso into a bucket, toss the arms and legs on top of it, and pour hydrofluoric acid all over it. In 2 hour's tops, no more body; just a squishy red form that use to be human. Then you just have to poor the liquid secretly and in small amounts in different areas."

"….Jesus," Apollo breathed out. It was the only way he could actually reply. "I could never do what you do. You're stronger than I will ever be. If I was in your position, I would've rolled up and died."

"Don't take this to any offense," Melinda asked, "but I get it. Not many people can handle the life. But that doesn't mean I'm envious of others. Take you, for instance, you have a mom, _and _a dad. I only had one. I mean…..I had two until…" and then she trailed off, trying to suppress such terrible memories.

Apollo pulled her close and comforted her; telling her that it was over and that there were many things to look forward to. This coming from his lips, reminded him of the same exact thing. The best was yet to come. Things were looking up indeed. Soon, this entire mess would settle down and Apollo would go back to a normal life.

Part of him wished to not go back. Part of him wanted this moment to last forever. During all this, he never once worried about school, popularity, homework, or anything else. He didn't even worry. He just lived. And he wanted to live. Another part of him told him the logic of what was going to happen, and that it was inevitable, and that he would go back to a boring routine.

But maybe he didn't have to.

"Melinda," he began.

She opened her eyes and looked up. The eye's focused on his, intent and what he was about to say.

"I know that, we live so far away from each other. I'm from New York, and you're across the sea," he began, "but, now that I know my parents, I might be able to come over on some weekends, if not most, and I know it would be hard, but I was really wondering….." he paused for a bit. He realized that he was rambling up till this moment. This was the moment that had to be perfect, and it had to be said perfectly. He lingered on every word his throat produced, and it left him feeling helpless. No turning back now. She was either going to say yes, or no.

"Would you…would you like to go out on a date with-"

BRAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAP

Everyone ducked at the sound of gunfire. Dirt flew into the car as a result from the large bullets which landed on either side of the car. The sentence was lost into thin air, along with any emotion retained within that sentence. All emotions in the car were now replaced with fear and panic.

"What the hell was that?" Arty asked as he emerged from the bottom of the car, along with his wife.

Mulch shuffled about the laps in the back and found a pair of binoculars in between one of the seats. He pulled them out and looked out behind them. At this point, everyone else could hear another sound along with the motor of the car. Everyone was unsure of what it was exactly, until Mulch got a clear view of a giant helicopter approaching them, and then shouted, "IT'S OPAL!"

"Hey, maybe she just wants her car back," Grub stated, drowning in fear.

Loafer's shot Grub a look in the rearview mirror, that basically screamed, 'you think?'

At this point, Mulch had moved his binoculars by one inch and caught another terrifying sight that caused him to scream like a girl. Everyone's attention was captured, and their heartbeats raced when Mulch described to them the situation they were now in.

"It looks like Opal is sending her whole battalion after us," Mulch proclaimed. "I see basically a sea of pixies, trolls, and whatever else on foot, and if I'm not mistaken, a couple of tanks."

"How close are they," Artemis stated, expecting the worst.

"Really far," Mulch said, calming everyone for a bit. "I can't even make them out clearly enough. Right now our main concern is-"

Gun fire sprayed either side of them again. Twice, they were almost nicked and yet somehow Opal still couldn't land a shot. _Damn, that pixie has bad aim, _thought Trouble.

"That," Mulch proclaimed, pointing at the helicopter that was getting closer and closer with each passing second.

"Ok," Arty piped in as Holly made her rounds to the back of the car to make sure if everyone was alright and if there was anything to aid them (though the last part was a quest that couldn't be accomplished). "We have to throw her off our trail somehow."

"Unless a sandstorm is in the waits, I'd say were screwed," Loafer's said. "I don't have the driving skills to make something like that happen."

Arty turned his head to the back for potential volunteers to steer the vessel. Everyone gave him a confused glare, including Julius. "I don't know the details about the vehicle," he replied. "I try something crazy, I might get us all killed."

"Well, I'd hate to point out the obvious," Artemis announced, "But either you drive the car, or Opal kills us with her bullets. They're going to kill us somehow, even if all she hits is the engine and we all die in a horrific explosion."

And that's when it clicked in Apollo's brain. He didn't know why this had floated by his consciousness for so long. But just now, Apollo felt the weight of the explosive he gathered from the plant sitting on his lap.

"I GOT AN IDEA!" Apollo screamed at his father. Apollo tossed one of the explosive devices carefully to Arty. The genius examined it, and then laughed.

"Perfect," Artemis announced. He tossed the device back to his son, who's nervous hands almost dropped the item. After regaining his composure, and surviving another round of fire from Opal (man, that chick probably couldn't hit the broad side of a barn), Artemis explained the details of what was about to happen.

"You see that little red button at the bottom?" Artemis asked his son, pointing to said button. Apollo spotted it and then shook his head up and down. "Good," Artemis explained. "These are impact pressured explosive. They won't explode until the button is pressed. Then all it takes is a good fall and the device basically does its job and does it well."

Apollo then looked around the group of people in the back. "Who here has the best arm?"

Melinda immediately took all the explosives from Apollo and prepared herself for battle. Apollo explained to her not to press the button until she was positively certain that she was going to throw, and then Artemis, very carefully, looked out the passenger side mirror to indicate when Melinda should start throwing.

After a few seconds of antagonizing wait, the Helicopter, though faintly, appeared into view.

"NOW!" Artemis commanded.

Melinda threw not 1, not 2, but 3 explosives one after the other. The explosives reacted greatly and as soon as they touched the ground, giant geyser-like clods of dirt and sand went up into the air and eventually formed dust. This however did not stopped Melinda and she finally threw all 17 explosive each after each other.

The gang could faintly hear the sounds of Opal flying away. The logical conclusion was that the dust affected her sight and that she was making a quick retreat before heading for them at full force. Even their sight was over cumbered by all the dust. Loafer's had to pull over and stop the car just for a moment.

Artemis was staring at it vaguely once the dust started to clear. Once it fully did, his jaw dropped and his gaze was enraptured by what he saw. This caught the attention of Apollo, who looked towards where his dad was looking and his jaw dropped as well. Soon everyone was staring at it and couldn't help themselves if they looked like total buffoons. They were perplexed, spellbound, and amazed by what they saw. Artemis had to have been the most shocked out of the entire group because, in his haze, he started to exit the vehicle and take small steps towards it, even though it was fairly far away. After a while, everyone was out of the car.

Holly got right next to her husband, and laid her confused head on his shoulder while staring at the item which had entranced them all. She was the first to speak.

"Honey…..back in France, didn't you say that there was a Confederate cannonball proof ship that somehow ended up in the Sahara?"

The Ship was still covered with a lot of sand, but most of it was exposed. Although old, years of preservation under the sand and dirt had kept the ship in one piece and in perfect condition. Arty was about to explode with happiness, until the sound of whirling blades brought him back to reality. There was only one place for them left to go once Opal was on her way back.

"Quick, everyone into the ship!" he ordered.

And they ran.

It was a hard trek, being that the uncovered part o the ship lay on top of a hill. By the time the gang finally reached it, Apollo's calves were pleading for him to stop running. They were so sore that by the time Artemis opened the hatch for the gang to jump into, Apollo simply fell and landed face first into the hard wooden floor of the ship. The pain stung like hell and surged within his chest, knocking the wind right out of him. Dust flew into his vision and made it impossible for him to see for a bit.

And when the dust settled, he still couldn't believe what he saw.

The rest of the gang couldn't believe what they were seeing either. Inside the ship, there were the usual contents; large barrels filled with gun powder, cannon, and confederate gold coins. CONFEDERATE GOLD COINS! The place was packed full with the items, and it made Artemis Fowl's smiled widened, and for the first time in a long time, he got so excited and happy, that he screamed.

"I'M RICH…-ER. AHAHAHAHA!" the Irish lad proclaimed greatly.

The groaning noise of a helicopter passing overhead caused the reality of the situation to settle in. Mulch was the last of the gang to finally make it inside the ship. Once he dropped in, he confronted Arty with an issue that was on everyone's mind.

"Great, what now Fowl?" Mulch spat with disgust. "Opal is flying over head and we have nothing to escape with. We're basically sitting ducks."

"That's the plan," Artemis exclaimed as he traveled about the ship, studying to see if there were any holes or if the ship was in less than perfect condition on the inside. (The ship was ok; covered with sand and dust, but sill ok).

"For us to get shot and killed?!" Mulch screamed.

"See these walls," Artemis exclaimed as he patted down the metal, which resulted in a enormous metallic bell-like sound. "They're cannon ball proof. 35 inches of thick iron; there's no way Opal could get us in here."

Blinding light flooded the inside of the ship as one of the many bullets Opal shot at them went through the iron walls. Everyone ducked as the bullets sprayed passed them and once again, just by luck, they were not injured. Surprisingly, only 6 out of the 16 bullets Opal fired at random made it into the ship, so the iron still somehow held up.

But that didn't retain Grub's anger any less. "Oh, yeah. That 200 YEARS OLD iron incasing hasn't aged a bit has it!" Grub sardonically moaned as he found himself in pain while lying on his back.

"So what do we do now, genius?" Juliet responded with just as much bitterness as Grub.

"We fight back," Artemis declared as his gaze fell amongst one of the many cannons. He ran over to it and noticed that it was missing its fuse. Artemis ran over to his wife, checked if she was ok, and then asked her for a favor. "Down below us," he explained, "You should find a small box which contains the fuses. They should look something like carrots. Can you grab it and bring it back up here?"

"Aye, my captain," Holly declared with a smile a small peck to his lips before descending down the ladder to the bottom half of the ship. Just at that time, Opal made her pass through once more and while the iron held back most of the bullets, 10 made their way into the ship. The group ducked once more, and then waited for Holly to return. Although it only took three minutes, the gang experienced it like it was hours, before Holly made her way back to the top, with the fuse box in hand.

Arty kissed his wife, pulled out one of the many fuses, and placed it into the cannon. It was easy for them to find a cannon ball, which Mulch placed into the cannon. Melinda fumbled about her pack which she and Juliet brought with them on the trip, containing many items that could be essential to their aid. In this case, they needed a light, and they got that when Melinda pulled out a lighter, with a huge grin on her face.

She lit the fuse, and the gang patiently waited as they watched out the cannon door at the helicopter coming towards them. They could count it down to seconds. _3….2….1…._

The cannon screwed up. You could blame it on the age of the equipment but in reality it was Arty's fault for thinking that while appearing in perfect condition, a 200 year old weapon could still be in practical use. The cannon ball made it out of the cannon, but even at full speed, it would be impossible for the cannon to reach Opal. But that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was how the cannon kicked back so hard, that it sent Apollo flying backwards by at least 3 yards. It knocked the breath right out of him.

It also did something else.

"I'M SO SICK AND TIRED OF BEING SHOT AT!" Apollo screamed, his voice registering an octave lower for some reason.

The cannon angered him. And because of this, the cannon reactivated his powers.

Apollo watched with amazement as electricity danced between his fingertips. Artemis was watching a well, and when their eyes met, Arty could not suppress his grin. It must've been destiny that his son, would be the one to end all the madness that Opal brought into Arty's life. The power continued to surge within Apollo, to the point where his eyes became like crystal hues; just like when he first got his powers.

Artemis gave his head a gentle nod, insinuating that it was ok for Apollo to proceed.

Apollo got up from the ground, "EVERYBODY STAND BACK!" he yelled. The crowd before the door parted and Apollo continued running at a fast pace towards the opening. Then, stepping back, he lunged his right arm forward and a giant ball of electricity flew from his body and went spiraling towards Opal's ship.

Inside the helicopter, Opal's eyes widened with fear. She tried pulling the joy stick up to move her helicopter, but to no avail. The last coherent thought that went through Opal's brain was "I hate kids."

The helicopter exploded miraculously. As the debris fell down to earth, Artemis and the gang cheered incredibly. Tears started rolling down their eyes. It was over; it was finally over. The screamed and danced and cheered and hugged each other…

And then they heard the sound below them of several hundred guns locking and loading.

They had forgotten that Opal's army was following behind her. Now they were all positioned in front of them. Mulch wasn't lying when he explained the calamity of the situation. There were indeed two large tanks in the midst of the army. Apparently, Marvin Lawrence had given Opal enough firepower needed for world domination, and then some. The gang's cheering ended immediately right there, and they all raised there hands, hoping that maybe her mercenaries, now without a leader, would be merciful.

And then the strangest thing happened.

The army out in front of them….they began raising their hands and falling to the ground in surrender as well. Before the gang could even process what was happening before them, a voice proclaimed, "This is the L.E.P. and you are under arrest."

* * *

Later, the gang found themselves talking to Chix Verbal and Foaly outside of the ship, as multiple L.E.P. officers preformed Mesmer's on the crew and shipped them off to jail. It was a fitting ending to an otherwise radical adventure.

"So basically, once Opal gave out the codeword saying that right factory production was to be moved," Chix stated, "the rats in our crew went missing, and amazingly that accounted for at least 35% of everyone in the L.E.P. We were wondering 'what in Frond's name is going on,' and that's when Foaly came in with your guy's story and we basically high tailed it out here to save yo ass."

"Since the rats left the office, the L.E.P. was now a safe zone," Foaly explained. "Your brothers Myles and Beckett aided us over the headset, and frankly, they weren't all that bad. So that's basically how we got to where we are now."

Apollo scanned everything. He remembered that just 4, maybe 3 days ago (his memory was failing due to all the intenseness he found himself in all throughout his adventure), he was back in New York. He was an Asshole musician with and inferiority complex, and frankly was immature. There was no doubt about it. After all he been through, there was no way he was coming home to New York the same. He had changed, for better, or for worst.

But there was one thing left on his mind.

Looking to his father, he asked "Is it over?"

Artemis smiled, looking at his creation, realizing that maybe now; they could finally have a normal life. "Yes…..it's finally over."

Apollo sighed, "Thank f***ing god," he announced as he curled into a ball on the sand, and he went to sleep. It was over. The end.

* * *

**Well folks, it's been a hell of a ride. But now it's time to put away this story for good. Don't worry though, I promise that I will have an epilogue to follow soon after. Nothing special, just little note cards to tell you all what happened to the characters after the story. But It will come soon. Maybe I might actually have it posted by September 1****st****. but whatever the case I want to say thank you and that it's been a pleasure writing this story.**

**With many regards,**

**Welcometofightclub.**

_**THE END! **_


	28. Epilogue

**Song: "The Tourist," By: Radiohead.**

"_The world is like a ride in an amusement park, and when we choose to get on it we believe it's real because that's how powerful our minds actually are. The rid goes up and down and all around, it has thrill, chills and it is very colorful and very loud and very brightly lit. and some people think, 'Is this real, or is this just a ride?' and then there are those who get off the ride; people like Gandi, Jesus, JFK; people who tell us 'hey, don't ever worry about anything because in the end…..it's just a ride.' And we…..kill those people. 'shut him up! Look at my furrows of worry! Look at my big bank account, and my family! This has to be real!' no man, it's just a ride. But does anyone else find that ironic; that we kill the good guys and let the demons run amuck. But even then….that doesn't even matter because after all…it's only a ride. And we can change it at any time we want to. No money, no commitment, just a choice between fear and love. The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on your doors, buy guns, and seclude yourself off from the world whereas the eyes of love see us all as one. And if we keep choosing love, maybe one day, we will explore space, both inner and outer, in peace and harmony. Thank you and god bless."_

_Bill Hicks. _

After the mission, **Julius **just wanted a simple and quiet life, or at least as simple of a life a clone of a historic fairy leader could get. So, leaving the underground world behind, Julius now resides in an undisclosed location somewhere in America. It is rumored that he has found love and settled down.

**Mulch**, being the opportunist, went back to San Juan and opened a food vending shop in which he gets his supplies illegally through his favorite restaurant. He has not been caught and has Artemis and Holly on speed dial in case he does.

**Trouble **went back as commanding officer and after a few more years behind the desk, got promoted to Council Member. It has been said that Trouble's council initiation was one of the best decisions in fairy political history.

Unfortunately, **Grub **went back to work as a pencil pusher and continues to be. However, he found love with a new secretary by the name of 'Filifolia' and it has been reported that they will be married soon. Kids are defiantly being planned for.

**Juliet **continued being Artemis Fowl's most trusted body guard. In her off time, she has made special reappearances in the arena back in Mexico, sporting her old title 'The Jade-Ring princess.'

**Melinda **eventually did go on that date with Apollo. They have been going steady for 7 months since. Since Apollo lives in New York, they usually only get to meet each other on the weekends but it keeps the relationship stronger. Melinda has pursued her duties as a body guard as well, but that topic will come up in just a bit.

**Artemis and Holly **are still happily married, still residing in the Fowl Manor, and are excited to announce that they have not been in any other adventures since then. Holly had another baby, named "Orpheus," who had black hair and no pointy ears or magical abilities. However, and it is unfortunate, he regained the fairy's aging process and by the time Apollo passes on, Orpheus will still be only a little child.

**Apollo **pleaded with Todd and his band to start up another gig and fortuantly they did. It was a success and it lead them to create an album. They have achieved an underground cult status as a 'punk rock, funk, grudge, progressive metal,' band and are about to embark on their first tour. It has been reported that Melinda has been Apollo's security guard for all his shows and will be on the road with him as well. He is doing well in school and is now in his senior year, just months away from graduation.

* * *

The teacher read the story with curiosity. She knew that Apollo already was exhaling head and shoulders above the rest in her class, but the story was good; really good. It's just….something was missing.

She was startled by the knock on the door. She turned to see, much to her surprise, Apollo. And judging by the way his jaw held slackly, he was surprise too. It was then she realized that he was surprised because he noticed her reading his story on the computer. She shrugged and pulled the junk drive out of her laptop. As she handed the blue device over to Apollo, she began to speak.

"I saw it lying in your chair when you got up," the teacher said. "You told me that you had your homework on it, and since you've also said that it was complete, I decided to cut you some slack and print it out myself."

"And that's when you discovered my rough draft," Apollo sighed with a smile.

"It was actually really good," the teacher stated.

"Thank you," Apollo replied happily; actually fascinated by the fact that someone actually enjoyed his writing. "How much have you read?"

"All of it."

That really surprised Apollo. He corked a brow. "….all 27 chapters?"

"And the Epilogue," The teacher stated with a smile.

"Dang," Apollo sighed. "Well, it must've been good to have been keeping your attention for that long."

"Although," the teacher began as she made gestures with her hands, "and this is my only criticism. The characters of Holly and Artemis, they're very fantastic and captivating but I don't know enough about them. Could you have at least provided a back story?"

"I thought about it," Apollo explained. "But when I worked out the plan on paper I realized that if I was to make a back-story for them, it would take up a series of 8 novels."

"I'd actually support you if that were the case," the teacher made an off handed remark.

But it stuck in Apollo's brain. He light switch was flipped on, and Apollo began to smile. He thanked his teacher and walked out, and started to pursue the nearest payphone.

* * *

The call between Apollo and Artemis on that day went something like this.

Artemis: ….hello?

Apollo: hey dad, it's me.

Artemis: how's everything in New York working out for you?

Apollo: Terrific. I'm graduating in a few months and I'm hoping to get a job as either a musician or a writer.

Artemis: you better hope you gain a minimum wage job on the side to support you along the way. Of course, I'll help out as well, but I know how you like to pursue you're on path.

Apollo: that's actually what I'm calling you about…dad, if I was to write a series of novels, would you publish them?

Artemis…it depends. What are they about?

Apollo: I've already selected 'Eion Colfer,' as my pseudonym. I am thinking of writing 8 books in the series, and the first one will be named after you.

Artemis: So it would be 'Artemis Fowl,' written by 'Eion Colfer.' This sound appealing. Very, very appealing.

_**THE END!**_


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